


Future Times

by AriaDream



Category: Fate/stay night & Related Fandoms
Genre: F/M, Karna/Siegfried make the cutest couple, M/M, Pack of Servants, Poor Karna, some gender swap
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-06
Updated: 2018-01-06
Packaged: 2018-12-11 16:31:18
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 9
Words: 27,800
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11718183
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AriaDream/pseuds/AriaDream
Summary: A spinoff idea of Fate Grand/Order... in a completely different reality, a different group of magi are summoning Servants in their quest to protect the human race. However, there is a small problem in the form of an abnormal Servant, summoned and bound into a doll. Or is it a small problem? It could be a large problem... Karna/Siegfried, told from Arjuna's viewpoint. (for now)





	1. Chapter 1

Arjuna answered his summons with an intrigued feeling.

This was not a Grail War. He could tell that immediately from the feeling of the summons. He was also not being given the option of refusal, which was interesting. This power was strong enough to compel. Curious and interested, Arjuna did not try to resist and descended from the Throne of Heroes. He materialized into a beautifully appointed great room, with a large summoning circle permanently inscribed into the floor.

“I see,” Arjuna said aloud as knowledge filled his mind. Imparted not by the Grail, but by the unusual object, a mystical computer? That was behind all of this. “Are you my Master?” Despite the incredible system that had summoned him, the Master-Servant bond was still necessary to anchor him in the world. The young woman in front of him beamed.

“I am! Do you accept my contract?” she asked and Arjuna nodded, even as he examined her. A very short redhead, she was cute as a button and looked lively, with warm brown eyes. “My name is Martine Nichero. May I have yours?”

“Heroic Spirit Arjuna,” Arjuna said immediately, understanding that with this system that she would not know his name. Her eyes widened and she suddenly looked taken aback.

“…Oh. That’s not good,” his Master coughed, reaching up and tugging on her collar. “That’s… really bad actually. I don’t know…” Arjuna could easily guess what was going on.

“Master, I will assume that Karna has already been summoned,” he said cooly and saw his Master bite her bottom lip. “While having us in the same camp is asking for trouble, I will endure it.” This place was devoted to preserving the human race. Arjuna would not jeopardize that for an old grudge, no matter how profound.

“No, you don’t understand…” Martine muttered and Arjuna frowned at her. “It’s not like that, he’s not… Karna isn’t really here but… oh man. I hate to do this I really hate it but the Grand Master will kill me if there’s an incident so I just have to.“ What? “Arjuna!” She lifted her hand and Arjuna’s eyes widened as the Command Seals flared. “You will not, under any circumstances, take action against the Master of Heroic Spirit Karna!” What?!? Arjuna gasped as he felt the command hit him, like an iron bar around his soul.

“Master?!” Arjuna said, aghast, as he considered what this command meant. Karna’s Master was… abusing him? Holding him under duress? It had to be but how could that be true? Karna would never accept such a thing! “Explain this!” Really, this was absolutely unacceptable. His Master looked at her burned out command seal for a moment before meeting his eyes. Her expression was regretful but firm.

“Karna isn’t a real Heroic Spirit. He’s something new, a form of demi-Servant. My cousin managed to summon him and bind his essence into a sentient doll,” Martine explained and Arjuna struggled with the concept even as knowledge was given to him. In this context ‘doll’ meant a body of porcelain and wood? Animated with magic and given a semblance of life? “A Servant is a tool, a means to an end.” That might be true but was not appreciated. “A doll, though, is merely an object.” …Was this some kind of sick joke? Karna, his brother, was considered an _object_ in this place?

“You are telling me that my brother is a slave here,” Arjuna said, an edge to his voice as he stared at his Master. She winced but did not deny it. “And you are telling me that he has accepted this?” That was absurd. Karna had always been determined not to accept the limits of his caste.

“He’s a doll. He doesn’t have a choice,” Martine said gently and Arjuna ground his teeth together as he understood. A doll would be implanted with mystical compulsions that precluded disobedience. “And you shouldn’t think of it as your brother at all. It’s just a doll that looks a bit like him.” Arjuna was certain he was being lied to. “You’ll be seeing it soon enough. Let me introduce you to everyone.” Which would likely include his brother. Lovely.

As Martine showed him around, Arjuna took in his surroundings. This was a great manor house, but built on the scale of a castle. There was no cold stone, only warm wood and everything was extremely comfortable, with a wide variety of décor. Some of the rooms were, in his opinion, in very poor taste. A particular dining room that had a golden ceiling made him wince and look away. The rest of the décor carried the theme with more excessive gilding and Arjuna was reminded of several palaces he’d seen when he was alive. He’d disliked them as well…

Ruefully acknowledging that his minimalistic tastes were not shared by many, Arjuna followed his Master into large meeting area. Arjuna immediately noticed that the furnishings were oddly cheap here, and heavily scarred. Trestle tables with benches and chairs, mostly, and as he walked two… people… were gathering up mugs and plates.

_So these are dolls,_ Arjuna thought as he examined them. Both white as snow with very short hair, they were slender and graceful, weaving through the Servants in the room easily as they completed their tasks. Arjuna knew he would likely have dismissed them if he hadn’t been aware his brother was one of them. They looked quite human, despite the odd coloring. There were many Servants in the room, drinking and socializing. Arjuna didn’t recognize any of them.

Then a new Servant entered the room and Arjuna suddenly realized why the furnishings were so cheap.

_Berserker._ The man who walked into the room with a heavy tread was easily seven feet tall and grinning widely. Along with the strange mask on his face, he was incredibly imposing. And slung over his shoulder was… what?!?

“We have practiced hard for our future battles against the oppressors!” The stranger boomed before dropping the person on his shoulder on to the table, on his back. Arjuna stared as the whole table shook and several people lost their drinks. “Sustenance! We require sustenance! Yes, yes, you must eat, do not shake your head!” A white head was shaking and Arjuna swallowed as the person on the table sat up, his red cloak billowing around him. “Keep up your strength!”

“Just humor him, it’s easier,” someone behind them said and Arjuna blinked, realizing he’d completely missed the third Servant bringing up the rear. He was a tall, strong man but his companion made him look almost slight. His chest had a beautiful pattern of light, like nothing Arjuna had seen before. Karna heaved a sigh before nodding. Then he turned his head and Arjuna was able to see his face.

He wasn’t exactly Karna. The facial structure was subtly different. His lips were fuller, his eyes a bit larger. Up close, Arjuna would always have known this wasn’t his brother. However, he would have assumed the doll was Karna’s son, one that had taken after him more fully than his real sons. The resemblance was pronounced.

“Uh, right, that’s the doll,” his Master said quietly and seemed very nervous. Arjuna wondered why. “You can hang out here and if there’s anything you want to know, the others can tell you. Mind if I…?” Arjuna frowned but nodded.

“I will be fine Master,” he said, still wondering why she wanted to get away so quickly. Was she afraid of something? But that made little sense. Martine quickly made her exit and Arjuna stared after her thoughtfully for a moment. That was strange…

Looking back at the table he was treated to an even stranger sight as the two dolls brought out more food, including a fully cooked chicken. Karna opened his mouth to say something and Arjuna quickly moved closer – he wanted to see if his brother’s voice was different – but then the hulking berserker shoved a drumstick in his mouth. Arjuna blinked at the comical surprise on Karna’s face.

“Eat little one, you are too thin!” The berserker bellowed and the other man with them was laughing silently, his shoulders shaking. Karna took the piece of chicken out of his mouth with a smile and began to eat it, quick and dainty bites. Arjuna had actually seen his brother eat before and while he’d been neat, this was not quite like him. He drifted closer as the third man – a Saber, from the great sword on his back – took a seat and began dishing himself some roasted potatoes. The berserker shared more of the chicken before claiming what was left.

The three of them chatted a bit as they ate and the berserker… sort of made sense. It was possible to follow his general line of thought, at least, if you ignored the overblown language. He seemed to be obsessed with oppressors and Arjuna thought perhaps that was why his Master had almost run away. Did the berserker think of most Masters as ‘oppressors’?

“Who are you and why are you skulking around?” A voice spoke in his ear and Arjuna almost jumped out of his skin. Turning sharply he beheld a man in black and grey camouflage, with tanned skin and strikingly white hair. There was a bandanna around his forehead, in more nighttime camouflage.

“I am Heroic Spirit Arjuna,” Arjuna said frigidly and saw a flash of surprise, followed by a small quirk of the lips. “And I am not skulking.” Really, he was just standing here. The other man’s smile became more pronounced as he glanced at the table.

“I suppose it’s not spying when you have to stand back to avoid being deafened,” the stranger said before gesturing towards the group. “Do you want to say hello to your brother? But don’t expect too much. He’s mentioned that the memories are clear but disconnected, as though they belong to someone else.” …Interesting.

“Then who is he?” Arjuna asked and the stranger’s eyes flicked towards him. He noticed they were a beautiful shade of honey-brown. Hmm, this man had to be an assassin. The Servant stared at him for a moment before giving him a small, hard smile.

“His Master calls him kurva and I’m told that was the doll’s name before it was merged with a heroic spirit. However, since that means ‘bitch’ I would not suggest using it.” …What? “I really don’t know more than that and frankly, I don’t want to. But you should go say hello.” The assassin suggested firmly and Arjuna considered it for a moment before nodding.

“Very well.” It would be rude not to at least exchange a few words with his ‘brother’.

Arjuna walked confidently to the table, on the side of the saber. All three of them looked up and Arjuna saw the moment Karna recognized him and his eyes became glacial, his expression closed off. Arjuna sorted through his memories of his brother and tried to decide if that was a remotely normal expression for him. …It might have been, when he was younger and confronted with someone he hated. Arjuna wasn’t entirely sure, he’d never been that close to Karna.

“Oho, a new warrior to fight against the oppressors!” The berserker was already giving him a headache. The Saber turned around in his seat to look at him, a curious expression on his face. “Unless you are an oppressor? Are you a tyrant?” The berserker demanded and Arjuna blinked.

“No,” he said simply. Arjuna could safely say that one thing he’d never been was a tyrant. The berserker seemed dissatisfied by his response.

“Then are you a rebel against the tyranny or a sycophant, licking the boots of our tyrannous masters?” …Uh… Arjuna looked at the two sane people at the table. The Saber was shaking his head and Karna was examining his hand as though it was fascinating.

“Spartacus, you can figure that out later. I’m sorry, he’s a bit difficult. I’m the Wandering Swordsman, Siegfried. This is the Laughing Rebel, Spartacus, and this is the Hero of Charity, Karna,” Siegfried introduced them and Arjuna reflected on the oddity of being introduced so to his own brother.

“I am the Awarded Hero, Arjuna,” he replied, since they were being formal. Siegfried stared for a moment before abruptly looking at Karna. Their eyes met and Karna gave his companion a one-shoulder shrug before looking away. Arjuna frowned. That gesture made Karna look almost like a petulant child, refusing to speak. Siegfried turned back before giving him an insincere smile.

“We are pleased to meet you,” he said politely before turning back to his companions. Arjuna knew he’d been dismissed. This was… rude… but he had no choice but to accept it. The assassin brushed past him and was immediately welcomed at the table, to his irritation. Arjuna frowned as he walked away.

He’d only said hello to his brother out of obligation. If Karna wished to snub him, it should not bother him in any way.


	2. Chapter 2

Arjuna wasn’t put into a team for three days so he had time to observe the goings on.

The Heroic Spirits summoned here had plenty of down-time between missions, yet the missions were extremely challenging. It was a good combination that kept them battle ready. The number of Servants in the manor was fairly steady, but the faces sometimes changed as a spirit fell in battle and was replaced with someone new. Arjuna was in fact such a replacement.

With down-time between missions, though, the Heroic Spirits in the building had formed cliques. The obvious interactions were class based. Sabers chatted together, trading tips on swordsmanship, Lancers compared their moves, Casters were deep in scholarly discussions and Berserkers discussed… whatever they discussed.

Beyond that, though, were some interesting things. Some heroes seemed to group together based on era. The ancient heroes of Greece, in particular, had formed their own little group, likely because enough of them were present. There was a group from the middle-ages that particularly liked to have drinking competitions. Siegfried often joined them, although Karna did not. A group of heroes from ancient China who often had vociferous disputes, yet still associated with each other, united by their common culture.

Then there was Karna and his grouping. That social group was, in Arjuna’s mind, the most puzzling. The core was Siegfried, Spartacus and Karna, who appeared to be almost grafted together. The hulking berserker loved to carry his brother around, ignoring the fact that he had working legs. However, that social group also included a motley assortment of other spirits who seemed to have nothing in common. The assassin Arjuna had spoken to, who would only say he was a future spirit. Another assassin, a Chinese one, was welcome in their party. One of the Casters, a flamboyant man who loved to talk. A diminutive Rider. Other heroes, even very powerful ones, were coldly snubbed if they attempted to join. Arjuna couldn’t figure it out. What united these particular spirits?

He was given the answer on the third day, right after the white-haired assassin returned from a mission.

“PIE!” The bellow was ear shattering and Arjuna winced. “You are truly the greatest ally of justice to ever live!” The assassin was laughing although it was impossible to hear him over Spartacus. “Pie for all the allies of freedom, who dare to rise against the tyrants!” Arjuna observed that Caster looking up, stars in his eyes. The Chinese assassin also drifted over. Shaking his head, he turned away – “YOU!” ?!? Arjuna was completely unprepared to have his arm seized by a large hand. “You too are a hero of justice!” …He was what…? “Standing up with the downtrodden against the tyranny! Come, have pie! Prepare your strength for the revolution!” What? Arjuna found himself dragged to the table and didn’t resist, utterly confused. He was even more confused when Siegfried gave him an amused smile. Karna seemed totally involved in looking at the pies.

“What Spartacus is trying to say is that this morning, he encountered your Master and observed that she has a burnt out Command Seal,” Siegfried said calmly as the assassin attempted to shush Spartacus so he could explain which pies were which flavors. “You have only been here three days and have had no missions, so we can all guess what the command would be.” Siegfried smiled again but with a hard, bitter edge. “Join the group of Heroic Spirits with a permanently burnt out Command Seal.” …Oh.

“I see.” Arjuna felt a deep-seated anger as he finally understood what drew these spirits together. Every last one of them had forced their Master to use a Command Seal to restrain them from taking action on Karna’s behalf. Although Arjuna hadn’t yet met Karna’s Master. Hm. “…How bad is it?” He asked Siegfried in a low tone. The saber’s eyes flickered to Karna. He was holding a piece of pie now and sampling it with a great deal of pleasure.

“Terrible,” Siegfried replied quietly and Arjuna’s hand clenched into fists. “He will accept help but not pity.” Siegfried’s tone was warning and Arjuna nodded.

“I understand,” he replied, reflecting on it. That, at least, was very like his brother.

The pies came in three flavors, peach, apple and blueberry. Arjuna knew peaches and apples but he couldn’t recall blueberries so he decided to try that. It was the same flavor Karna had, he noticed, and his brother’s lips were turning blue. So was his tongue, when he stuck it out at Spartacus.

“Karna…” Arjuna started, unsure of what to say. His brother turned his head sharply and the motion was so quick and abrupt that his earring smacked him in the face. Arjuna stared as everyone erupted in laughter, to Karna’s obvious mortification. Karna looked around and Arjuna had the distinct feeling his brother was thinking of running away. He reached out a hand, intending to… he didn’t know what. But then Siegfried was there, a hand in the middle of Karna’s back.

“Karna, just say hello,” Siegfried coaxed and Karna looked at him, finding reassurance there. Arjuna reflected that that was all wrong, Karna should not need reassurance. Then his brother looked back and the small smile on his face was enchanting.

“Hello,” Karna said and his voice was so soft Arjuna had to struggle to hear him. It was also wrong, it was higher pitched with an almost feminine tone. Arjuna suddenly wondered about the gender of the doll. Did they have gender at all really? Hm. He opened his mouth to ask a question but then the berserker loudly interrupted.

“ICE CREAM!” Wait, what? Looking over Arjuna saw the dolls were bringing out cartons of ice cream, to go with the pie. The Caster took credit for the idea which proved to be something of a mistake as Spartacus hugged him. Everyone laughed at the sight of the poor fellow trying to escape and Arjuna smiled to himself.

These people were loud and potentially annoying, but he was still glad to be here.

* * *

 

Arjuna’s first mission was a reasonable success.

It wasn’t a particularly hard mission, although that was largely due to the quality of his team. The oni they were fighting would have given a weaker group more trouble but with Achilles in the front, engaging them directly and Arjuna and the white-haired assassin providing support, the demon-people were entirely outmatched. Finally the demon queen came out to fight Achilles herself and while the ancient Greek hero had a problem with that – he protested a bit about an amazon Queen, whatever that was – Arjuna and the assassin did not. It was his blue arrows that made the kill.

The only part of it that was a slight failure was how long they took. Many of the oni escaped and would have to be hunted down, which was vexing but acceptable. If the Queen had been a King, perhaps they would have been able to crush them more thoroughly, but that had not been in their control. So Arjuna was in good spirits when he returned to the manor.

Unfortunately, that melted like frost in the summer heat as he was finally able to observe Karna’s Master.

Arjuna stopped dead when he saw them together, knowing instantly who the man in front had to be. The dynamic was clear even to a newcomer, with the magus walking in front, Karna two steps behind, holding his spear in one hand. To Arjuna, Karna’s posture was strange. The easy confidence his brother had always moved with was there, but it was deeply marred with nervous tension. Arjuna noticed that Karna kept reaching up with one hand and fiddling with his earring. Trying to calm himself?

The magus in front, though, was as commanding as Karna in his own way. A tall, handsome man with blonde hair, he walked with unconscious arrogance. His clothing was all black and beautifully decorated with silver in intricate braids. Cold blue eyes travelled over Arjuna for just a moment before dismissing him as unimportant. The magus brushed past him and Arjuna moved aside without thinking, letting him pass. Karna followed behind, not sparing him a glance, his gaze fixed on his Master’s back. Arjuna reflected that in other circumstances, he might have been offended by that. But Karna had more immediate things to worry about than his brother.

Arjuna stared after them before shaking his head and heading for the mess hall. They had said nothing and yet, he found that brief interaction disturbing. He’d never seen Karna play with his earring that way. It was odd and unsettling, to see it here.

Achilles was already in the meeting spot, describing the battle to a few of the Greek heroes. Siegfried and Spartacus were nowhere to be seen, likely out on a mission. Arjuna thought about going back to his room. There was no one he particularly wanted to talk to –

“Hey, Arjuna! Come have a drink!” That was Achilles and Arjuna contemplated refusing before rethinking it. Perhaps now was a good time to start feeling out his fellow Heroic Spirits. Plotting an assassination was unlike him but if Arjuna ever wanted to remove Karna’s Master, it would have to be through the unfettered spirits.

So Arjuna spent time with the Greek heroes, just getting to know them. The group right now was Achilles, Atalanta and Odysseus. To Arjuna’s amusement, Achilles was trying to flirt with Atalanta, who seemed obvious to his attentions. Arjuna tried to feel out their attitudes towards slavery with indirect remarks, but unfortunately Odysseus easily saw through his efforts.

“It must be difficult for you. A terrible dishonor on your family,” he said with an oily sort of sympathy. Arjuna set his jaw before responding civilly.

“It is not what our mother would have wanted,” he said, reflecting on it. Kunti would probably have fainted if she’d seen this. Then his mother would have demanded all her sons free Karna, whatever the price. Odysseus laughed and then stopped abruptly as Achilles turned to glare at him.

“Some of us have mothers we respect, Odysseus,” Achilles said darkly and his friend swallowed before putting on an ingrating smile. Achilles turned away with a snort, looking back at Arjuna. “My mother was Thetis, the sea nymph and a powerful goddess. Was your mother also a goddess?” Arjuna blinked at the thought and shook his head.

“No, she was a mortal woman but a very good one, despite her flaws.” The greatest of which, Arjuna still thought, was concealing Karna’s origins from them until it was too late. If only… “She possessed a mantra to invoke the gods and have them gift her with sons. My father is Indra.”

“I was the daughter of a King, but he left me to die because he wanted a boy,” Atalanta said and Arjuna was startled. Couldn’t they have just tried again? “But Artemis sent a bear to give me milk and raise me. When I was grown I killed a monstrous boar, joined Jason’s crew and became a hero.” Everyone looked at Odysseus, who looked a bit sour.

“I’m just a man who was immortalized for having the worst trip ever experienced by anyone,” he said and Arjuna saw Achilles was holding back a laugh. “I’d like to strangle that Homer prick!”

“Oh, you’re a fine saber, don’t forget that Odysseus,” Achilles said easily before smiling at Arjuna. “He’s actually a wonderful fighter and good to have on your side, despite his appalling luck.” Odysseus was muttering now, and Arjuna could pick it up. _Years to get home_ and _if anything didn’t go wrong I’d like to know what it was._ “We won’t help you, though,” Achilles said, getting to the point quickly, as was his way. “Slaves were a common thing in our time and the dishonor is on your house, not ours.” Well, that was blunt enough.

“I understand,” Arjuna said, reflecting on it. In the time he’d lived, slavery had not been legal. It had existed of course – everyone knew there was that dark side – but it had not been accepted. Achilles, though, came from a time when slavery was not just legal but expected and to him, Karna was nothing.

Not long after, the Chinese assassin and the caster arrived, chatting about something. Or rather, the caster was talking while the assassin listened with a small smile. Arjuna knew their names now… they were Jing Ke and Shakespeare. Drifting over, he casually joined their conversation. Shakespeare was more than willing to include him.

After hearing a bit of Shakespeare’s poetry… it actually was very good, all new works in the modern style… Arjuna decided to bring up what was on his mind.

“Shakespeare, the situation with my brother is distressing to me. Do you think the other Casters would be of any use?” They might be able to do something about the compulsions laid into the doll. Shakespeare made a face before shaking his head.

“No. They’re all real magi, not pretenders like me and to them, he’s just an object.” Arjuna found the reminder of his Master’s words unsettling. “Maybe if they had some way to do it without risking themselves, but they don’t. That Master is as competent as he is evil.”

“Not quite that competent. But only because it would be impossible to match such evil,” Jing Ke said and Arjuna was struck by the quiet deadliness in her eyes. “I regret my second failure but I was not expecting to walk into such a scene. I acted from emotion, not calculation.”

“Me too really… I was just walking down a hallway and came across the bastard slapping him,” Shakespeare said unhappily and Arjuna’s hands clenched into fists. “Although that’s putting it too tamely. I had some addlepated idea I could help him escape so I deployed my Noble Phantasm to confuse the magus. Useless of course… he just ordered Karna to beat me senseless. It didn’t go well for me after that,” Shakespeare said, running a hand through his hair. Arjuna could imagine, the caster was easily one of the weakest Servants. He made up for it with cleverness and good team synergy.

“Can you tell me how the others were restrained?” Arjuna asked. He didn’t want to ask this in front of Karna and Shakespeare loved to talk.

“Oh yes, certainly… Spartacus is obvious, won’t bother to say.” Yes, Arjuna had already learned about his past as a slave. “Siegfried is the knight in shining armor picking up the damsel in distress – “ Arjuna tried to picture Karna in that role. Despite the feminine traits of the doll, his mind almost broke in the attempt. “That nameless assassin and Ushiwakamaru – “ Arjuna wasn’t sure he could say that name. Was that the Rider? “Plotted with a few others, alas, they are no longer with us. Unfortunately a saber they trusted betrayed them and they were all restrained before they could do anything.”

“That still puzzles me. She seemed like a very decent woman. The assassin was most upset with her,” Jing Ke said and Arjuna frowned. Shakespeare shrugged.

“She’s dead and gone so we’ll never know. I do wonder if that assassin killed her. And I wish he’d give us a name!” Shakespeare complained. “It’s ridiculous. If you call ‘assassin’ half the room looks!” Well, not quite that many. But close. “I swear I’m going to start calling him Bob.” …Bob the Heroic Spirit. Arjuna smiled at the thought.

“And I will stab you,” a smooth voice made Shakespeare jump in surprise. Arjuna was equally surprised although he hid it better and Jing Ke might not have been surprised at all, from her bored glance as the male assassin seemed to slide out of a shadow. “Is there anything good for supper?”

“It’s eel pie,” Jing Ke said and the white-haired man immediately slunk back into his shadow. “Hmph. It’s not that bad.”

“It’s excellent! My favorite dish!” Shakespeare exclaimed and from the way Jing Ke shook her head, she didn’t agree with him. Arjuna wondered what it would be like. He’d never had eel pie in his life. Well, he would be willing to try it.

He was always willing to try something once.

* * *

 

Arjuna stalked through the hallways of the complex, in a very foul mood. There was no particular reason for that mood. Perhaps it was the storm outside, or perhaps it was Da Vinci’s endless chatter. Whatever the reason, though, his mood was rank.

It got worse as Arjuna turned a corner and saw a very nasty scene.

“Shhh, it’s alright,” Siegfried was there, kneeling on the ground beside a body slumped against the wall. Karna’s face was twisted in pain, despite the lack of blood. As Arjuna watched, Siegfried reached out to gently stroke Karna’s cheek. “He’s going to be here soon. You’ll be better, I promise.” Karna made a soft, whining sound that reminded Arjuna of an animal in agony.

“What has happened?” Arjuna asked as he strode over to the two of them. Siegfried’s eyes flicked up but he didn’t stop his self-appointed task of comforting Karna.

“He has been disciplined,” Siegfried said calmly and Arjuna wanted to scream. His brother, needing discipline?! “His spine is damaged and he cannot move.” Who in hell thought THAT was ‘discipline’? “My Master will be here soon, remain calm.” Ah, his rage was showing.

“How could he possibly have been harmed past Kavacha and Kundala?” Arjuna asked, staring down at his brother. Now that he was here the ‘doll’ was looking away, biting his lip in an effort to stifle his pain. Arjuna could almost feel his shame at being seen this way by his ‘brother’.

“Shh, shh. It’s fine, it’s fine,” Siegfried murmured before gently kissing Karna on the forehead. Arjuna felt a flash of shock at the gesture. The two of them, were they…? “His Master’s gloves and boots are enchanted to bypass the Heroic Spirit and damage the doll body beneath.” What. In. The. World.

“This is obscene,” Arjuna muttered and Siegfried nodded, not taking his gaze away from Karna. Karna’s breathing was unsteady. If he’d still been a mortal man, Arjuna would have thought his brother was dying.

Then Siegfried’s Master, a young magus in a red coat, hurried up to join them.

“Damn it not this AGAIN?” He said before kneeling beside Karna and gently running his hands over his brother’s body. It looked a little obscene but Arjuna could recognize the touch of an experienced healer. “His spine again? Curse it Siegfried, I can’t keep doing this, it costs me mana every time…” Even as he complained, though, the Master’s hands lit with the gentle radiance of healing magic. No, not precisely healing. Ah, yes, the doll was not technically alive so the Master was mending his body, not healing it.

“I apologize Master but I must insist,” Siegfried said and beneath his polite surface Arjuna could sense a determination like iron. From the way his Master sighed, he heard it too.

“I know, I know… remember that you are absolutely forbidden to use your dragon heart,” the Master said firmly and Siegfried bowed his head. Arjuna wondered what that meant but now was not the time to ask, as Karna began to tentatively move his legs. “Hold still idiot,” the Master muttered and Arjuna reached out to grasp Karna’s shoulder. Aquamarine eyes flicked up to meet his and Arjuna was struck by the distrust there.

“He’s right. Moving can only aggravate your injuries,” Arjuna said and Karna held his eyes for a moment, as if he was searching for something. Then he looked at Siegfried. Their eyes met and the swordsman reached out to cup Karna’s cheek. Karna nuzzled him in an almost feminine gesture, too soft and loving for the man Arjuna remembered. Again, he wondered at the doll’s gender.

It took several minutes before the young magus pronounced his brother healed. Siegfried helped Karna to his feet and Karna gestured for them to move away. Arjuna did and watched his brother run through a few quick tests, kicking out, punching and then doing a deep squat. The Master nodded, satisfied.

“I know it’s probably impossible but stop trying to piss him off, would you?” he asked and Karna stared at him for a moment before sticking his tongue out. Arjuna was so surprised, he let out an involuntary snort. “Oi, oi! Alright, alright, I know, just… nevermind. Siegfried, you have the evening off, do whatever you like.”

“Master? You are sure?” Siegfried asked, mildly surprised and the Master frowned. Arjuna realized he should start getting their names.

“I’ll borrow that white-haired guy from Dania. He’ll be better than you anyway,” the Master said and Arjuna wondered what that meant. From the smile on Siegfried’s face, it wasn’t an insult.

“Thank you Master,” Siegfried said with a small bow and his Master nodded before leaving. Then he looked at Karna, who met his eyes. Siegfried seemed to be silently asking Karna a question, to Arjuna’s eyes, and Karna nodded in response. “Would you like to come with us?” …Ah.

“Thank you for the offer, but I must decline. My Master is expecting me,” Arjuna said smoothly. It was the truth and come to think of it, he was close to late. Siegfried nodded, a flash of awareness in his eyes.

“Ah, she’s been called to the special meeting too? Karna’s Master was excluded,” Siegfried said which made Arjuna frown slightly. What was he referring to? Arjuna realized he needed to devote more attention to the politics between the Masters. Although it was difficult, none of the Masters were willing to allow the Servants into their private power struggles. Still, he needed to understand what was happening.

“I see,” Arjuna finally said. Had that exclusion led Karna’s Master to take his temper out on his slave? Arjuna thought it was likely. Lips tight, he parted ways with Siegfried and Karna, seeking out his own Master.

He would watch over her but also observe the discussion closely. There was much to be learned here.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case anyone's wondering, there will be yaoi too. This is just how we're getting started. :)

Siegfried gently put an arm around Karna as they walked to his rooms.

Frankly, he was glad Arjuna had refused their invitation. They were rarely able to spend as much time together as they liked and this was a perfect time. A moment where Karna needed him and his Master would not be expecting him back for some time. Karna gently pressed against him as they walked and Siegfried reflected on how fragile he felt. He knew it was just an illusion, with his power Karna could easily rip Siegfried to pieces, and yet…

_If only it was entirely an illusion._ Siegfried felt a surge of rage at the thought before carefully banking it. It would do no good and only distress Karna. But the doll body he inhabited was fragile as a piece of china to the cruel gloves and boots his Master owned. Even worse were the enchanted tools the Master used to work the doll. They were meant for surgery but they had so many other applications. Siegfried had seen the aftermath of that, many times.

A hand gently tugged on his hair and Siegfried blinked, before looking into aquamarine eyes. Karna was a bit shorter than him now, but only a bit. Vaguely, Siegfried thought that was wrong, some odd recollection told him they should be the same height. It was the doll Karna inhabited, it had been designed to be shorter than his Master.

“Stop being yourself,” Karna said and Siegfried smiled. That was a joke between them, about his foolish ways. “What movie should we watch?” Karna’s voice was stronger, with no one else to hear, but still quiet. And it held that odd feminine tone, another thing Siegfried instinctively knew was wrong. Karna should be male through and through.

“Mmm, what would you like to watch?” Siegfried asked and then felt a bit of alarm as Karna smiled. It was the sweet, impish smile that only he saw and while it was beautiful, it spelled trouble.

“The Princess Diaries.” …Ah. Siegfried sighed internally but knew he’d walked right into that. So he smiled gently and nodded his head. If Karna enjoyed such things, he would endure them.

Normally, Siegfried shared a suite of rooms with not just his Master but also his Master’s other Servant, the incredibly annoying Astolfo. Fortunately, Astolfo was spending the night out with a harem of women – his actual words, Siegfried did not want the details – and his Master was in that meeting and wouldn’t be back until later. Normally, Siegfried would have been watching over him but the nameless assassin would certainly be better at it. (horrifying that his Master considered it a necessity)

Shaking his mind away from the power struggles among their Masters, Siegfried helped Karna prepare the popcorn. They had a special machine for it, which Siegfried considered a great marvel. It was painted a beautiful red and popped the corn like a dream, creating a delicious scent as it worked. However, they did need to make the butter sauce to pour atop. Karna hummed softly as he did that, melting the butter in a pot. They had no kitchenette but they didn’t need one, when Karna could gently warm the metal with nothing but his hands. Siegfried’s Master would have used a spell for the same thing.

Popcorn in hand, Siegfried settled into the brown suede sofa. It was a very comfortable sofa, well used and this side fit his body perfectly. Right beside him was usually his Master’s place, and beside him was Astolfo. They often watched movies here together although rarely the kind Karna favored. (sometimes, though, because Astolfo also enjoyed them) As he was thinking that, his Master’s cat jumped up beside him. It was a small white cat and Siegfried watched with a smile as it sniffed the popcorn. He offered it one and it spurned the offering with feline disdain, jumping back down and walking away, tail in the air.

Then Karna was joining him and Siegfried smiled as the smaller, slighter body settled firmly against his own. Karna had always been built differently, more lightly, Siegfried vaguely remembered. The doll took that a bit further, making him a shade more delicate, but it was close to true. The movie started as usual, with the trailers for other movies. They didn’t bother to fast forward it, aware the remote was a bit finicky and might decide to act up.

Then the movie began and Siegfried blinked.

“This is Deadpool,” he said, bemused, as the intro began. Some douchebags’ film, indeed. “Have you put in the wrong DVD? I can – ouch!” Karna had just pulled sharply on his hair. Siegfried looked at him and blinked as a piece of popcorn hit him in the forehead.

“Silly. I was teasing you, I know you don’t want to watch The Princess Diaries,” Karna said with a sweet, open smile and Siegfried hesitated. Karna should have what he wanted – “This is for you.” Karna said before snuggling against him. “And do not argue.” …Ah…

“If this is what you want,” Siegfried said uncertainly. They’d had this discussion many times. Karna liked to do things for him, not all the time, but sometimes. It was often hard for Siegfried to accept. It was his place to help Karna, make him feel better, but Karna insisted there had to be reciprocity. “You do want to watch this?” he asked, uncertainty gnawing at him. Siegfried truly didn’t want Karna to force himself to watch something he disliked. A piece of popcorn was pressed against his lips and Siegfried blinked before accepting it, nipping it out of white fingers.

“It’s silly and funny and will help me not think. Yes, I want to watch this.” The ring of truth in Karna’s soft voice settled Siegfried and he watched the movie with enjoyment. The popcorn and the warm body beside him made it perfect and they both laughed at Deadpool’s antics, his casual breaking of the Fourth wall.

The movie was just finishing and they were indulging in a bit of nuzzling when the door opened and something loud and brash waltzed in.

“Siegfried! Karna! There you are, I have been bored out of my MIND!” Astolfo flounced over and gracefully slid into the sofa with them. Karna started to move but Siegfried stopped him with a hand on his waist. “Those stupid girls insisted on watching the Princess Diaries!” Siegfried choked and heard Karna’s muffled giggle. “I’ve seen that a dozen times!” Yes, that would be his complaint. “Oh, are you watching Deadpool? Aw, it’s over!”

“I just got the second one, it arrived from Amazon this morning,” their Master offered and Siegfried froze in surprise as Karna lifted his head, startled. Astolfo turned to look at their Master, stars in his eyes. “I’ll go get it, can you make the tea?”

“Yes Master!” Astolfo was out of the sofa so fast, the air seemed to dislocate. Siegfried could feel Karna shaking a bit with silent laughter but he was concerned.

“Is this good?” Siegfried asked quietly and Karna turned his head to look at him. Siegfried was struck, yet again, by the beautiful composure Karna seemed to carry with him. So serene, even in the face of great hardship. Then a warm hand was cupping his cheek, a finger delicately stroking one of his small scars.

“Is it good for you?” Karna turned it around, as was his way. Siegfried couldn’t hide his grimace. He hated questions like that. “I want to watch the new movie very much but if you would rather…” A gentle blush colored Karna’s cheeks and Siegfried felt a sudden surge of relief. They wanted the same thing, that made things easy.

“I want to see the new movie as well and we have time,” Siegfried said, relatively confident that Karna’s Master would not call on him immediately after a punishment. For all he knew, Karna was still collapsed against that wall and suffering. The thought made him angry but then Siegfried forced himself to let go of the emotion. It only made things worse.

His Master – his given name was David – bustled out with the movie. It was still in plastic and he handed it to Karna, who took it with a nod and began picking at the plastic tread to unravel it. As he did that, Siegfried’s Master brought out something pink?

“Master! You are not supposed to be eating those,” Siegfried said sharply as his Master opened the box. The man paused, a mildly ashamed look on his face. “Billot logs are forbidden on your diet.” All sweets were forbidden, unless they happened to be fruit. Even then, extra sweetness was not allowed.

“Oh come on Siegfried, we only live once!” Astolfo said, utterly carefree and Siegfried ground his teeth together. They only DIED once, as well, and their Master was suffering from ‘diabetes’. Siegfried had been puzzled at first but a full description had enlightened him. It was what they’d called the pissing sickness, in his day. With no access to ‘insulin’, their wise sage had prescribed a diet of fish and wild greens and roots. Everything else was forbidden. Siegfried had seen it cure a woman, who had followed it closely, but also watched it fail on a man. He hadn’t been able to give up his beer. And while their Master had no taste for alcohol his sweet tooth had no limits. “He can just take more insulin.” Which was NOT healthy, according to the healing magus.

“It’s just this once,” his Master said and Siegfried knew that was a lie. There was always another ‘just this once’ with him. He took a deep breath before glancing at Karna. Karna was looking away, playing with his earring with one hand as he said nothing and Siegfried knew. Karna wanted the logs but would not say it, not when he knew it really wasn’t right. And Siegfried felt himself weakening.

“Just this once,” Siegfried said, giving in. No, it wasn’t healthy but living in this place was stressful. Couldn’t they be forgiven a bit of self-medicating? Although Siegfried’s tastes weren’t for sweets. No, his desires ran towards alcohol. Hmm. “Is there any beer?” He would like that although, truthfully, it was something Siegfried knew he needed to watch. But his helplessness sometimes made him want to drown himself in a vat of it.

“Oh sure, we have that triple beer you like!” So dark and strong, ah, that would be good. Siegfried went to get it out of the fridge. He was just pulling the top off when he heard the trailers begin again and hurried back. He wanted to see every bit of this.

The second Deadpool movie was every bit as good as the first and soon they were all laughing at the man’s crazy antics. Astolfo liked to throw popcorn at the screen but fortunately he soon forgot it in favor of billot logs. Siegfried noticed that his Master was on his second log and felt a bit of dismay, but decided not to point it out. Trying to get someone to do what they ought to do was the worst task in the world for him. Karna was enjoying his pink sweet, coated in coconut, at least. His tongue was very pink, as he gently licked a bit of cream from his fingers…

Flushing lightly, Siegfried took a deep swig of his beer. The strong alcohol warmed him and even with the nonstop action that was Deadpool, his gaze kept going back to Karna. He was…

_Stunning._ Siegfried was dazzled by Karna. So proud and strong and fierce, yet so fragile and vulnerable. Siegfried did know it was wrong. He knew the doll was not Karna, not truly. But that dichotomy, between the fierce warrior who was so fearless in battle, and the sweet, soft spoken man who made friends with surprising ease, drew Siegfried in. Karna needed him, yet didn’t need him. Karna filled his world. Siegfried would do anything, give anything, to make him happy –

Warm fingers suddenly twined around his and Siegfried started slightly before gazing into concerned aquamarine eyes.

“You’re staring at me.” Oh. Siegfried felt his cheeks heat. Karna’s smile was sweet and understanding. “Watch the movie, it’s too good to waste.” Ah, it was, in a very silly way. Feeling reassured, Siegfried returned Karna’s smile before taking another drink of beer. Ah, it was good, very good. Reaching out, he took a handful of popcorn and ate it. That was still good, even a bit stale.

When the movie was over, they went to his room. While Servants didn’t need rooms, food, or anything really, it was standard practice to provide it. Siegfried thought his Master would have given him a room anyway. David was a decent man. Not a good one – he was a magus, after all – but a decent one. For Siegfried, that was more than enough.

A warm hand cupped his cheek and Siegfried nuzzled Karna’s palm. Then they kissed and it was sweet, tender and slow. Karna’s lips were soft as feathers beneath his and the lithe, warm body pressed against him made Siegfried feel huge and ungainly.

“How do you want me?” Karna’s soft voice in his ear made Siegfried swallow, lust racing through him. He wanted… he knew what he wanted. But…

“I want whatever you want – OW!” Karna roughly jerked his hair and Siegfried flinched before meeting Karna’s eyes, seeing the stern disappointment on his face.

“Do not lie to me. You know I know,” he said and Siegfried really wished that wasn’t true. It was so much easier, with someone who couldn’t see through the comforting lies. “You want something.” Yes, he did but…

“I still want whatever you want,” Siegfried said softly and the sterness in Karna’s face eased a little, as he accepted the truth of that. “But I would like you as a woman.” That was a secret power of the doll, the ability to shift genders. Siegfried knew, a bit queasily, that it was due to the doll originally being female. Very female. And given how stunningly gorgeous Karna was as a woman, Siegfried had a grim feeling he knew the purpose of that doll. And that was exactly why he hated to ask this. He remembered Karna’s words on the subject. _Being a man feels cleaner._ Regretting his request, Siegfried opened his mouth to take it back. But Karna was already changing and he shut his mouth, enthralled by the process.

The shift was gradual, as Karna’s hair lengthened and his body shifted, going from hard lines to ripe curves. The black jumpsuit that was suitable enough for a man became obscenely revealing, as breasts threatened to escape. They were beautifully shaped and white as lilies, desperately straining against the fabric. Feeling in a trance, Siegfried reached out and slid a thumb under the already popping jumpsuit, easing it away and revealing Karna’s nipples. They were very white although if he abused them enough with his mouth, Siegfried knew they would become pink. A soft giggle drew his gaze upwards and Siegfried looked into Karna’s face. It only changed a little, becoming a bit softer and rounder, the lips a touch fuller.

“I love the way you look at me. Make love to me, Siegfried,” Karna’s soft voice was filled with a smokey desire that went straight to his groin. Feeling like his pants were far too tight, Siegfried drew Karna into a tight embrace, feeling her body pressed so beautifully against him as they kissed. This time it was full of hot passion and he gently drew her to the bed.

Clothing was peeled away and tossed aside. They could have made it vanish and sometimes they did, but tonight, by some mutual agreement, they stripped each other. Pausing to worship their bodies along the way. When the clothing was out of the way they did more exploring, with hands and tongues and lips. Siegfried shuddered as Karna nibbled a line along his shoulder, pausing to lick the light of his chest, the place he’d absorbed the dragon’s blood. Few lovers were so daring, to touch him so, but what did Karna have to fear?

Nothing, nor did Siegfried. So he set to making his earlier vision a reality, cupping Karna’s breasts and teasing the nipples, gently sucking them until Karna mewed softly in pleasure. Gently releasing one, Siegfried blew on the overheated skin, noting with pleasure that it was becoming pink. He loved that soft pink, the delicate spread of blood. It made it seem like they were both alive, not spirits and dolls in a far away land…

Shaking away that unsettling thought, Siegfried devoted himself to pleasing his lover. Karna’s hands rested on his shoulders as he knelt between her spread legs and paused to look at her sex. It was white, like all of Karna, but the inner folds were a gentle pink. Gripping her thighs, Siegfried ran his tongue through her folds. Karna arched a little with a soft, wanton cry. As a man or a woman, Karna always loved this kind of attention.

Siegfried was more than willing to give it. He teased Karna’s folds, trying to push his tongue into her, before pausing to suck that tiny, tender piece of flesh. He’d asked the healing magus about it and learned it was called a clitoris. She’d also rather sarcastically congratulated him for finding it. Siegfried had beat a retreat at that point.

He wasn’t retreating now. Karna was mewing softly and Siegfried could taste her juices on his lips as he pulled back, breathing heavily. Settling between her thighs, Siegfried was aware of his heavy erection. Karna’s hand gripped him and guided him into her, giving him immense pleasure as he took her with one quick thrust. Her body wrapped around him like a velvet glove and Siegfried gasped, looking into Karna’s face. The blazing blue eyes, the wanton desire there, made him want her all the more.

“Siegfried, take me, I need you,” Karna’s soft call sent more blood to his straining cock. Siegfried obeyed her, feeling like he was entranced as he plunged deep into her body. In and out, out and in, she held him so beautifully, her insides tight and warm and wet. Her arms were around him as well, her lips beneath his ear and her breath hot against Siegfried’s neck. To him, Karna was his entire world. He could not imagine being anywhere else than here, held within her arms.

Siegfried did not stop his thrusts for a moment, driving hard into Karna’s core and feeling her insides ripple. But even as they made love so intensely, he kissed her throat, the beautiful white skin. He cupped a breast in one hand, feeling the fullness of it. It filled his palm so nicely, a warm handful of flesh, and he gently rubbed his thumb over her nipple. Karna’s legs went around his waist, her ankles crossing behind him as she breathed encouragements in his ear. Siegfried responded the only way he could, speeding his thrusts. This woman was… his world…

The passion of their coupling could not be denied and it was Karna who came first. Her insides quivered around him and Siegfried felt it when they rippled and contracted, a grasping feeling that sent jolts of pleasure through his already straining cock. Karna’s soft, sweet cry was more confirmation, as she arched and trembled in his arms. Siegfried gasped before grinding sharply against her. He felt the intense pleasure, the deep satisfaction as he emptied himself into her. Spurts of hot cum bathed her core and vaguely, Siegfried wished there could have been a child. But she was a doll and he was a spirit and such a thing simply could not be.

Siegfried took his weight on his arms, resting his head on the bed beside Karna’s. A warm, delicate hand reached up and gently stroked his hair. Siegfried lifted his head, meeting aquamarine eyes. They seemed filled with such understanding, such wisdom. Karna was full of such beautiful pride, meeting adversity with strength and refusing to give up on joy.

“If only I could make this better for you,” Siegfried murmured, wanting that more than anything. “I would give up anything, my heart, my immortality, my very soul to make this right for you.” If only any of those things could have solved this. Siegfried winced as his hair was suddenly pulled painfully.

“You must not. Don’t you understand that all I want is you?” Karna said and Siegfried knew he didn’t understand, not really. How could anyone just want… him? “If you gave up your soul to free me it would mean nothing because then you would be gone. I would be left weeping on the ground, bereft and alone.” Siegfried swallowed at the image, meeting Karna’s eyes again. They were beseeching now, begging him to understand. “I don’t need you to die for me. I need you to live for me.” …Ah.

“I will. I promise,” Siegfried said, knowing he’d said it many times before and would say it many times in the future. It was so hard, though, so hard.

He was used to dying for others. Not living for them.


	4. Helplessness

The sun was shining overhead in a cloudless sky of cerulean blue. Around the manor were beautifully manicured gardens, but to the east, they had been razed almost to the ground. There was nothing on that side but barren earth, with scraggly weeds and a bit of charring in places. On that torn ground, Arjuna stood and watched Spartacus, Karna and Siegfried at play.

That was how he thought of it, at least. It was hardly a serious spar, from some of the ridiculous moves they were trying on each other. Spartacus kept catching Karna and tossing him in the air, for instance. And instead of retaliating with his spear, Karna usually caught a foot on Spartacus’ shoulder before leaping away to clash with Siegfried. Also, there seemed to be very little rhyme or reason on who was fighting who. Often, Spartacus and Karna double teamed Siegfried, but that could change at any time, with Karna suddenly shifting sides. As Arjuna watched he realized that Karna was deliberately extending their play, preventing anyone from taking the ‘win.’

_It simply will not do._ Arjuna decided. While it was amusing, serious practicing was needed and Arjuna itched to pit himself against Karna. Not because he still felt the need to end his life – Arjuna didn’t – but to test the doll and see how far it differed from Karna.

So he stepped purposefully into the field and fired an arrow over their heads. The last thing Arjuna was expecting was for Karna to launch himself into the air and _snatch the arrow from midair._

“?!?” Arjuna lowered his bow and stared as Karna landed with ease, brandishing his prize with an impish smile. That was… impossible. “How did you…?” He asked as the blue arrow dissipated. Karna looked at his empty hand in mild disappointment as Siegfried smiled and Spartacus laughed.

“My little one is touched by the gods!” Yes, that was to be expected, Karna was Surya’s son. But he’d never been able to do THAT before. “His powers are wondrous and strange! Oh, the thought of unleashing them against the oppressors! My whole body, every aspect of me, quivers in delight!” Karna dramatically leaned away from Spartacus, an expression of mock horror on his face. Arjuna snorted softly but would not be distracted from his question.

“How did you do that?” Arjuna asked Karna and Karna reached up to fiddle with his earring, glancing away. Arjuna felt like he was dealing with a recalcitrant child. Fortunately, Siegfried filled the gap.

“He can see a short distance into the future,” the Wandering Swordsman said and Arjuna’s gaze snapped to him. He was smiling, a soft, understanding smile. “It only activates in combat and makes him impossible to defeat in a one on one duel.” …What?

“That is impossible. Karna never possessed that ability,” Arjuna said frostily before frowning. No, Karna hadn’t had that ability but… the doll did? “Who are you?” he sharply asked it and ‘Karna’ turned his head to look at him. His blue eyes were empty as blue glass.

“I cannot say,” the doll said softly, with a lack of inflection that strongly reminded Arjuna of his brother. Siegfried gently put a hand on Karna’s back before addressing Arjuna.

“That means he has been forbidden to speak.” …Ah. “But he possesses the skill of Heroic Spirit Karna. Do you wish to spar? You will lose, but it could be interesting.” Arjuna’s lips tightened at Siegfried’s words. He wanted to remind the other spirit that he’d already killed Karna once, but this strange ability the doll had would make his brother terrifying. Still.

“I would like to test myself against you,” Arjuna said to Karna, who seemed hesitant. Karna glanced at Siegfried, who smiled and nodded with gentle reassurance.

“Go little one! You look so fragile, like a gust of wind could blow you over, but you are the most remarkable of heroes, your name written in the stars!” Spartacus urged and Arjuna blinked at that imagery. It was surprisingly coherent from a Berserker. Karna shook his head with a small smile but stepped away from his companions and Arjuna followed.

At first they were both holding back. Arjuna was sniping Karna and wishing, very much, that he had his chariot to protect him. Archer was a rather fragile class. But Karna was equally restrained by his Lancer class, unable to use his bow. And his mana burst did not have a great range. So at first they merely skirmished, testing each other.

That quickly changed as Karna suddenly got serious. His brother dashed with all his speed, circling and trying to get close. Arjuna was ready for him and moved with an equally blinding speed. As he did, he noticed something odd, little pinwheels of light detaching from Karna’s red cloak. And all of an Archer’s senses were very keen so he could hear something, although only on the very periphery of his awareness. Was Karna singing? If so it was no language he recognized.

Arjuna was caught up in the fierce battle but still noticed that Karna was evading all of his arrows with contemptuous ease. Like he knew where they would be… gritting his teeth, Arjuna unleased a powerful barrage before using it as cover, exerting every bit of his speed. Knowing the future would do Karna no good if he couldn’t avoid it!

It worked perfectly. Karna was caught up in evading all the arrows and couldn’t get away as Arjuna moved in for the kill. He had Karna on his back with an arrow between his –

“…!!!” Arjuna’s breath whooshed out as a ribbon of gold wrapped cruelly around his chest. More of them entangled his arms and Arjuna saw that the ribbons were carried by birds. Golden birds that looked like they were made of the sun itself, singing sweetly as they bound him. Arjuna instantly tried to free himself but it was already too late. Karna’s lance was resting against his neck and Arjuna looked into his brothers’ face.

_He wants to kill me._ Karna’s face was utterly blank but his eyes were filled with emotion. Arjuna saw it was a kind of battle madness, a desperate need to take his life. Karna minutely turned the lance and Arjuna felt heat, the sticky flow of blood –

Then a gauntleted hand clamped down on Karna’s.

“Karna, stop,” Siegfried spoke into Karna’s ear and Arjuna saw his brother shudder, blinking and the terrible blankness began to fade from his face. “The spar is over, you won. Stand down.” Karna allowed the Wandering Swordsman to pull him back. Arjuna could still feel the warm trickle of blood on his neck but it was nothing but a scratch, easily mended.

“Sorry. I… lost myself,” Karna said, so softly Arjuna could hardly hear. Then he lifted a hand and the birds vanished, the ribbons dissipating into sparks of mana.

“What was that?” Arjuna asked, unable to keep the anger from his voice. They’d warned him about the future sense, but not the birds and bindings. Karna did not answer, just looking away and reaching up to play with his earring. Again, it was Siegfried who provided the answer.

“The birds of the sun. Another power of the doll and likely part of the reason the Master was able to bind Karna’s spirit to it. Some kind of natural affinity,” Siegfried said and Arjuna saw Karna close his eyes for a moment. Spartacus was hovering over them both and for once, the Berserker wasn’t smiling. In fact, he seemed deeply concerned for Karna. “But Karna, what happened there? You’ve never gone berserk before.” …Was that what that had been. Replaying the final moments in his mind, Arjuna found it unsettling to think that it might be true.

“…He makes me angry,” Karna finally said and Arjuna frowned. That was not like his brother at all. “It wasn’t really his fault but it wasn’t fair.” Arjuna felt a sudden shame. Unfair was indeed a perfect way to describe Karna’s death. “And he reminds me of her.” Eh? “She was worse. She treated him like a – a – a bracelet she’d lost by the side of the road. She thought she could come pick him back up and everything would be fine and it doesn’t work that way.” Ah, Karna was talking about Kunti, but what did he mean? Arjuna knew nothing of this. “She was a ****” Karna said a word Arjuna didn’t know and he felt a sudden rage. Had he just called their mother a whore, or something even worse? “People are not things.”

“Unlike dolls,” Arjuna said coldly and saw Karna’s eyes go wide as the barb hit home. If their mother had not been insulted he might have regretted it, when Karna made a soft choking sound and then clung to Siegfried. Siegfried held Karna tight, staring at him in shock, his green eyes wide.

“YOU - !” Arjuna wasn’t surprised when Spartacus charged him. The Berserker was exactly as his class dictated, though, all strength and no finesse. Arjuna evaded him easily and fired several arrows. Not quite warning shots, they hit the berserker in non-lethal but painful spots.

“Spartacus!” Then Karna was there, blocking all his arrows with his golden lance as Siegfried grabbed their companion. Arjuna was mildly impressed as the Saber managed to hold Spartacus in place, his whole body straining against his friends’ might. As soon as he stopped firing, Karna dropped his lance and joined Siegfried in restraining Spartacus. Karna was whispering in Spartacus ear and Arjuna could not make out the words. It was impossible over Spartacus’ shouting.

“My little one is NOT A THING! If you speak to him so I will – “ Then the Berserker started to get graphic about exactly what he would do to Arjuna and then how he would defile the corpse. Arjuna wasn’t impressed. Spartacus was a powerful Servant, but nowhere near his caliber.

“You should go. He will not calm with you nearby,” Siegfried said over his companion and Arjuna met his eyes, seeing a deathly coldness there. That… was regrettable, but Arjuna only nodded, refusing to accept any guilt as he turned and walked away.

Karna should not have insulted their mother.

* * *

 

A few days later, Arjuna was beginning to regret his words.

It was partly due to his sudden exclusion from his brother’s social circle. Arjuna would not even try to approach them before he made up with Karna, that would be insane. But it was mostly due to the growing doubt in his mind. He’d assumed the word Karna had used for Kunti had been an insult, but he didn’t actually know that. Perhaps because the exchange had been so filled with emotion, Arjuna remembered the word Karna used. And he had a good ear for languages. He thought it sounded like it might be Greek.

Finally deciding he needed to know, Arjuna cornered Odysseus and asked him about the word.

“Hm? Mmm… can you repeat that?” The ancient Greek hero said and Arjuna did his best to enunciate clearly. “Ah, I know that one, it’s not Greek but it is from our time. It’s an Ethiopian word.” Ethiopian? Where in hell would Karna have picked that up? “Why do you want to know?”

“I will edify your curiosity if you edify mine,” Arjuna said, already a bit tired of talking to him. Odysseus could be quite a trial. Odysseus lifted an eyebrow before giving a one-shoulder shrug.

“Fine, fine. It’s a Moorish word that means, mm, a thoughtless, stupid person who thinks everything should be alright just because you ask for forgiveness.” …Oh. “It’s not a compliment but if it really stings, you might want to think about why, eh?” Arjuna had too much self-control to react but now he felt very badly. That was almost a perfect word to describe his mother’s conduct towards Karna. “Now why did you want to know?”

“Karna called our mother that. I assumed it was something worse,” Arjuna said, reflecting on it. That word would have stung Kunti, but Odysseus right, the truth in it was what would truly have hurt. “Thank you for the information.”

“It’s nothing. But you really might want to make up with him, eh? Karna usually does cover for our Archers,” Odysseus said and the concern was real. Arjuna shook his head, although he did intend to apologize now. Not because of any need for Karna’s cover – he would face death first before apologizing for such a reason – but because he had wounded his brother for no good reason.

The first step to apologizing to Karna was finding him. That turned out to be surprisingly difficult. The little social circle wasn’t present at all, the usual members off on missions or tending to their Masters. Spartacus wasn’t present, although Arjuna wouldn’t have approached him anyway. The one person present who might know Karna’s whereabouts was Siegfried, who was in the middle of getting drunk. Or at least, Arjuna assumed so, from the empty mugs and glasses around him. Arjuna was hesitant to approach him, because of that. Siegfried was a level-headed sort and when he was sober, Arjuna was sure the Saber would at least hear him out. Drunk, though…

Finally, Arjuna decided he had to. Walking up to the scarred table, he paused to see if Siegfried would notice him. He did, but it took a few moments.

“Uh? Oh, you,” Siegfried muttered, his green eyes filled with that cold light. Arjuna tensed but held himself steady as the Saber’s hand rested on the table. “What do you want?”

“I want to apologize to Karna. I spoke out of turn,” Arjuna replied and saw the coldness fade into surprise. Siegfried grunted before looking into his beer. Or was it something harder? The fumes were potent. “Do you know where he is?”

“Not here.” That was extremely unhelpful. “He’s entertaining his ‘master’,” Siegfried spat and Arjuna froze for just a moment. “Like a proper little doll, eh?” Cold eyes stabbed at him and Arjuna took a breath.

“I thought he called our mother a whore, or something worse. I only realized otherwise when I managed to find the meaning of the word he used,” Arjuna said softly, meeting Siegfried’s eyes, tension crackling between them. Then the swordsman looked away.

“It kills me that I can’t do anything,” Siegfried muttered, so low Arjuna almost couldn’t hear. “It kills me… I would give him anything to make this better, anything… but I can’t. What good am I?” Siegfried drained his beer and then suddenly dropped his face into his hands. He shuddered for a moment and Arjuna stared, wondering if he was crying. “I’m useless!” Then Siegfried gripped his own hair and yanked on it sharply before screaming. Not loudly, but full of anguish.

“Siegfried, stop,” Arjuna said with authority. Siegfried stopped his little fit, but only to go on to something else.

“It will break him someday.” Mmm, no it wouldn’t. Karna’s will was unparalleled. “I know what you’re thinking, you think he can withstand anything but he can’t. Water can bring down a mountain, all it needs is time.” … “I… I’m the wish giving knight, I exist to grant wishes but I can’t grant his wish. I can’t… I… need more beer…” Siegfried lurched out of his seat but only to collapse with a noisy clatter of armor on stone floor. Arjuna quickly went around the table to his side.

“Siegfried?” he questioned as he gripped the man’s shoulder, then wrinkled his nose. This close, the beer fumes were overpowering. Then someone familiar stepped out of a shadow.

“I will take him back to his rooms,” the nameless assassin said calmly and Arjuna met his eyes, seeing no animosity there. “Unless you care to help.”

“I…” Did he want to? “Yes, I will help you,” Arjuna said decisively. Carrying a drunken Siegfried was not beneath him. Even if he was a bit damp. The nameless assassin nodded and went to Siegfried’s other side. Between the two of them, they got the Wandering Swordsman onto his feet, although he kept mumbling about Karna and beer.

“He’s in danger of becoming an alcoholic. It’s difficult to control, though, given the circumstances,” the assassin said and Arjuna nodded, taking Siegfried’s weight easily. He was heavy, but they were all Heroic Spirits. “I’m sure if the source of his stress were removed, beer would only be entertainment to him.”

“Mmm.” That sounded all too true. And Arjuna had read up on Siegfried’s legend. It didn’t say anything about a weakness for drink so this had to be a recent development. “You are not…” Arjuna started, unsure of how to put it. Honey-brown eyes flickered towards him.

“You could only be talking to Siegfried because you were trying to find Karna.” Ah, very true. “To apologize… your words were most unkind but brothers will fight and say things they don’t mean.” He definitely had a point. Arjuna could remember some truly riotous squalls with his brothers. “I once had a friend who would say the worst things but then apologize… I always forgave him. Eventually, though, he grew into a person I no longer wanted as a friend,” the assassin seemed to be talking to himself now. Then he shook his head, glancing at Arjuna as they dragged Siegfried through the mansion. He was hardly on his feet, now. “Karna will forgive you.”

“Karna… so forgiving…” Siegfried slurred and Arjuna shook his head at him.

“The brother I knew was not forgiving,” Arjuna said, remembering. Harsh but fair would be a better way to describe his brother. Although, given that he was the Hero of Charity, would Karna give his forgiveness if asked? Likely he would. The thought made his heart hurt, for some reason.

“Things change… ah, here we are,” the assassin said as they pulled to a halt in front of one particular door. He knocked sharply and there was a shuffling inside before a… was that a man or a woman? Arjuna stared, unable to tell as the pink haired… person… yawned. And was his hair pink or more peach? The costume he was wearing, black and red with a white cape, did nothing to clarify.

“Aw, Siegfried? This again? You’re a mess!” The stranger scolded the Saber, but gently. Then he or she (Arjuna was going to have to clarify that) was taking Siegfried away from them. “We’ll handle it from here, thank you for bringing him home,” he said graciously and Arjuna nodded as the assassin murmured a soft ‘it was nothing’. “C’mon Siegfried, you need to go to bed…” They vaguely heard Siegfried saying something about Karna as the door was shut. Taking a breath, Arjuna looked at the assassin.

“When will Karna return? And where is he?” Arjuna asked, determined to learn something. Something flickered through the assassin’s eyes, a cold rage, before it was deliberately banked.

“We don’t know precisely where he is. Not the magus rooms, they will be empty,” the assassin said and Arjuna’s fists clenched. They had looked for Karna before. “He’s not on the duty roster for several days so we might not see him until Friday.” …What. “It’s more likely, though, that we’ll see him tomorrow morning at breakfast. Hopefully he will be undamaged.”

“This is sickening,” Arjuna muttered, regretting his words more than ever. “You’ve never been able to figure out where the Master takes him?” he asked and the assassin frowned.

“We do know somewhat… he takes Karna into the Command chamber, where the computer that helped to summon us is housed,” the assassin said slowly. “But you cannot go in there without permission from the Grand Master. Right now, Karna is the only Heroic Spirit allowed in that area."

“I see,” Arjuna said thoughtfully, wondering what could be down there. They had no idea of the extent of that area, although they knew it was large. Hmmm. This would seem to indicate that Karna’s Master had a very close relationship with the Grand Master, which would make it even more difficult to free him, if it wasn’t difficult enough. “Thank you for the information. I’ll look for Karna tomorrow.” There was nothing else he could do tonight. The nameless assassin nodded.

“Rest well,” he wished and Arjuna returned the sentiment before they parted ways. As he walked, he thought about it. He was sure, from the interactions he’d seen, that the Grand Master had no use for Karna’s Master on a personal level. Why did they seem so closely allied?

He needed to figure it out.


	5. Chocolates and Towers

_To Karna, the events he was experiencing were like a dream._

_The Heroic Spirit, the true Karna, was somewhat conscious. The dream was a coherent one, with images and events strung together in a way that made sense. But he was unable to affect the outcome, unable to lift so much as a finger. Karna felt like a passenger, a passive observer to someone else’s life. The dream was often warm and loving, filled with happiness and joy. But there was also despair and pain in equal measure. Karna didn’t know the name of the person who tormented him in his dream but he knew he experienced pain. That was very rare to the child of Surya. The nature of the pain he endured was even rarer. Yet, he could only accept it, in the hazy dream that was his existence._

_At times, though, the haze began to fade. Today the man he hated – Karna could taste the hate, like iron in his mouth, although he knew it belonged to someone else – took him to the hidden place. Karna listened without emotion or care as he was commanded to dance and sing, and he did. He sang in a voice that was not his own, in a language he did not speak, and it was beautiful. The dancing was all his, though, and Karna felt a touch of pride, that his skill was going into creating this beauty._

_Then, though, the haze began to lift. Consciousness was split as another person joined them and Karna felt himself rousing, coming closer to the surface. He quickly began to struggle but then felt his will stifled by a force from within, impenetrable and dense. Yet, it felt like he was controlling his own body now as he obeyed commands._

_Usually this odd state of duality lasted only a short time, but sometimes it was longer. Tonight was one of those nights and as his body was forced to participate, Karna’s rage blossomed. When he was merely dreaming he couldn’t truly feel his own emotions, only experiencing the others, but now he could. And his rage only kept building, and with it hate. Karna had rarely hated anyone, in his mortal life. A few times, he’d hated Arjuna, but the feeling had passed._

_This feeling would not pass. The reason for it was too profound. Karna ached to summon his lance and end this filth, purge this place with the fire of the sun, but he could not. The chains that held him were stronger than any he could have imagined, more profound than a Command Seal. Karna could only endure and dream._

_Dream of flashing gold, of fire and death._

* * *

 

As the nameless Assassin had said, Karna returned the next morning. Arjuna was an early riser and was in the mess hall to see it.

“LITTLE ONE!” Spartacus’ bellow was earth shattering and his hug to Karna was vigorous. Karna looked to be in danger of being smothered and Arjuna was glad his brother had Kavacha and Kundala. Then Karna was tossed into the air and Arjuna blinked as he narrowly missed a light fixture. Then, not content with that, Spartacus tossed him into the air again and Karna DID hit the light fixture, which swung dramatically but didn’t shatter. Then, Spartacus caught his brother and twirled him around. Arjuna could hear Karna’s laughter, soft yet very sweet, and saw his wide smile. It mystified him a bit. Karna enjoyed being manhandled that way? Although his armor certainly would help…

“Karna!” Siegfried was also present and terribly hung over. He still managed to go to Karna and hug him soundly as soon as Spartacus put Arjuna’s brother down. Karna hugged him back with another brilliant smile before offering him… what? Siegfried looked taken aback, staring at Karna’s open hand as Spartacus laughed.

“You silly. Take them,” Karna gently chided Siegfried and the Wandering Swordsman blushed before taking something out of his hand. Arjuna was frustrated that he couldn’t see, but he didn’t want to get too close to Spartacus before things between him and Karna were resolved. The furniture might be cheap but it was still better not to smash it. Siegfried took what was in Karna’s hand and tossed it into his mouth? What… oh. Pain relievers? Karna had anticipated that Siegfried would be drinking? Arjuna felt a strange tightness in his chest as he watched Karna run a hand through Siegfried’s hair, pulling him close and whispering something in his ear. Whatever Karna said in Siegfried’s ear made the tips of his ears go red.

“Siegfried…” Arjuna called softly and saw when Spartacus noticed him, the thunderous scowl on his face. Siegfried turned, his green eyes startled. Then sudden understanding filled his face.

“Of course… Karna, Arjuna has something to say to you,” Siegfried said before drawing over a reluctant Karna. Karna refused to look at him, reaching up to toy with his earring. Arjuna squared his shoulders before delivering his apology.

“I am sorry for what I said to you. It was uncalled for,” he said, owning up. Truly, Arjuna deeply regretted those words. Karna looked at him then, surprise on his face. “My only excuse is that I thought you had called our mother something rude.” Karna blinked and Spartacus spoke.

“My little one would never say bad words! I would clean his mouth with soap!” …Uh… Arjuna had a sudden mental image of Karna over Spartacus’ knee, his eyes wide and his mouth full of froth. Siegfried laughed, his shoulders shaking slightly. Then he winced and rubbed his forehead.

“Ah, Spartacus, don’t make me laugh right now, I can’t take it… Karna never uses bad words. I think the strongest he ever said was poot,” Siegfried said and Arjuna blinked. While Karna hadn’t been a fountain of curse words, unlike some others, it was not typical of him to censor himself. And to Arjuna that sounded like a feminine trait. Hmm, whoever Karna was merged with had to be a woman. Arjuna considered that confirmed. Karna, though, was blushing a little and stepped forward just a bit, meeting his eyes.

“I am sorry. I should not have used a word you did not know,” Karna said softly and Arjuna reflected that this, too, was unlike his brother. “I accept your apology. Would you join us for breakfast?”

“I would be honored,” Arjuna said graciously. Karna smiled at him and it was sweet and open, lightening his eyes. Arjuna joined them at the table and while Spartacus was not entirely pleased, he let it go for Karna’s sake. Soon more people were showing up for breakfast and while some of them were surprised to see him, they said nothing after a few glances at Karna. Hmm. “Siegfried, when did Karna say ‘poot’?” Arjuna asked, suddenly curious. Siegfried’s face lit with a smile as Karna hunched a bit.

“That was the battle against Fafnir, right before he used his breath attack.” This sounded interesting but who was Fafnir? “Then he jumped in front of Spartacus to take the blast and actually managed it, which should have been impossible.” Oh? “It’s an area attack, we still have no idea how he managed it.”

“The power of friendship!” Spartacus boomed and Arjuna bit back a laugh. “My little one’s heart is pure and full of love, endlessly giving to his friends in a great river of love!” HAHAHA! Arjuna lost the battle as Karna looked mortified. Siegfried smiled and patted him on the back.

“Ah, Karna, don’t be embarrassed. You were amazing,” Siegfried’s gentle encouragement settled his brother and Arjuna smiled at the sight. Then the dolls were bringing out the breakfast, which was hot porridge with baskets of hard boiled eggs, unpeeled. Karna took a large number and began tapping and peeling them. He was very deft, removing the eggshells with ease and passing the cleaned eggs to Siegfried and Spartacus. Arjuna took a few eggs for himself, as well as the porridge. The porridge also had toppings, savory or sweet. Arjuna opted for the savory which was bits of bacon and green onions, as well as salt and pepper. Glancing over he saw Karna and Siegfried had both gone the other way, putting nuts, sugar and milk into their porridge. Spartacus had put in both bacon and sugar, an odd choice but interesting.

Soon Arjuna was having a pleasant conversation with the nameless Assassin, who seemed to know a great deal about archery. He was also curious about how Gandiva worked and Arjuna decided it was better to explain. They would all be seeing it, after all, and his Master hadn’t mentioned keeping any abilities to himself. And the Assassin was willing to share his in return. It seemed his abilities relied mainly on poisons and he used both short swords and a small bow.

“Archer is actually my primary class,” the man admitted and Arjuna nodded. He’d suspected that. “Assassin is my secondary and Caster is my tertiary. Saber is a remote possibility, but dangerous.” Oh? Arjuna gave him a questioning look and the man smiled ruefully. “I have sword-like properties that make it a dangerous class. I didn’t know that myself until I was called into it by necessity and had to wear power limiters.” …Interesting.

“My primary class is Archer but I can be summoned as Lancer,” Arjuna said, reflecting on it. He had a very great skill with a lance, as good as Karna, just as Karna had been his match with archery. Then Arjuna felt a tug. “Ah, my Master needs me.” Was he late? Arjuna checked the small pocket watch he’d been given. No, he wasn’t late, but perhaps she wanted to go over strategy. The nameless Assassin nodded.

“My Master will be wanting me soon. Have a pleasant day,” the man wished him and Arjuna returned the sentiment before leaving the breakfast table. As he did, he noticed Karna favoring Siegfried with a gentle kiss. Their relationship was not secret at all and Arjuna frowned, wondering if Karna’s Master had ever tried to use it against them. Then he shook his head, brushing the concern away.

There was nothing he could do about it for now and Arjuna needed to concentrate on his mission.

* * *

 

Siegfried ate his breakfast and surreptitiously watched Karna.

He knew his lover well and to his slight relief, Siegfried could see no sign of pain. Karna also didn’t seem at all stressed or traumatized, laughing softly when Shakespeare told a joke. Siegfried knew the subtle hints, the signs that Karna was suffering, and they weren’t there. That eased his mind a little, but not entirely.

_It is so wrong that he is used to this,_ Siegfried thought grimly, looking into his porridge and stirring it around with his spoon. _So very wrong._ Karna’s lack of distress meant that his time with his Master had just been the usual. Siegfried had gently encouraged Karna to confide in him and eventually, he had, so Siegfried knew that meant singing, dancing and sex. In the sense that Karna performed for his Master like a trained dog. _I should be grateful it isn’t worse._ It could have been worse. Siegfried had held Karna when he shuddered and cried, bled and whimpered in pain. This was nothing compared to that. _It’s still so wrong._

“Stop brooding, I am fine,” Siegfried started at the voice in his ear and almost spilled his porridge. “Are you going out today?” Karna asked, a wistful note in his voice. Siegfried swallowed before nodding.

“I am.” Really, getting drunk last night had been a poor choice. Although. “It’s just cleaning up some wyverns in the barren lands.” That was an odd singularity. It seemed connected to the second world and monsters kept forming there. If the barren lands had been fully disconnected from other realities that would have been fine, but unfortunately it wasn’t. At least three timelines had been invaded from it in the past and when the horrors got into a real timeline, things quickly went bad. The magi were trying to find a permanent solution but until then, they regularly cleansed the place. Karna nodded, a touch disappointed but then gave him a sweet smile.

“Meet me on the tower,” Karna said and Siegfried’s breath caught at the thought. The tower was a beautiful spot, giving a commanding view of the gardens. Some of their best times had been spent there. “If I can’t come I will leave something.” Siegfried hoped that didn’t happen although Karna did leave the sweetest notes, when his Master called him away before Siegfried could arrive.

“I will be there,” Siegfried promised and Karna smiled again before devoting himself to his food. Siegfried was glad to see it. The doll didn’t really need to eat but could convert food to mana, and Karna’s appetite was a sign that last night really hadn’t been too bad for him.

They parted ways with a gentle kiss and soon Siegfried was going through the portal, his Master in tow. Several other teams were also being deployed to different spots, for a large cleanup. All of them held Assassins, who seemed to be particularly good at clearing wyverns.

“Bane to dragonkin,” Siegfried muttered before they began their work. As he took on the wyverns, he always kept his Master’s position in mind. He was useful – he could heal Siegfried and use his command seals to release his Noble Phantasms – but David was also a weak point, if any of the enemies were clever enough to target him.

Wyverns, though, were stupid beasts and they were all still small, barely more the fledglings. Siegfried found the work tedious but rewarding, as he put down the little evils before they could become large evils. Truly, cleaning out this place before the monsters could become bigger was the best way.

“Hey Siegfried, let me heal you…” His Master called and Siegfried paused. The magus rested a hand on his shoulder and Siegfried felt the pleasant tingle of healing magic, mending together the minor bites and bruises he’d taken. None of the wounds were serious but they did add up.

“Thank you Master,” Siegfried murmured. Then he hefted his sword. “Let us continue.” He didn’t think they were close to done.

Siegfried was right about that. It was many hours of hunting as the smallest wyverns tried to hide from him. Siegfried knew they were missing some of them but that was fine, they couldn’t do everything. Finally, his Master called a halt to it.

“That’s enough, we’ve reached our threshold. Let’s go home,” David said and Siegfried nodded, reflecting that he was rather thankful to have him for a Master. David wasn’t perfect by any stretch but he had a good heart. For Siegfried, that was more than enough.

Siegfried was surprised, though, when his Master gripped his arm after they returned through the portal to the manor.

“No, don’t go yet, I have something for you.” …Ah. Siegfried wished he could just pull away but that would be rude. “Come, you’ll love it!” Not as much as meeting Karna. Swallowing his impatience, Siegfried followed David to their rooms. Astolfo wasn’t there, likely out enjoying himself with his harem again. David went to his room and Siegfried had to wait, feeling his frustration growing. The longer he waited the more likely it was that Karna would have to go.

Then David came out holding something bright red and touched with gold.

“This is for you!” David offered him the heart shaped box with a smile and Siegfried looked at it, speechless. It was a box of chocolates and a fancy one, if he was any judge. But… why would…?

“Uh… Master, I appreciate the thought but I cannot accept…” Siegfried started, feeling incredibly awkward. His Master looked puzzled for a moment before his eyes widened. Then he scowled.

“Idiot! It’s not FOR you, it’s for you to give to Karna!” OH! Siegfried did feel like a bit of an idiot now. “I like girls! Good grief, just take it!” David huffed and Siegfried accepted the box, feeling the heat in his cheeks.

“I’m sorry Master. Thank you, that is very thoughtful,” Siegfried said graciously. Karna would love some chocolates, they were a rare treat. Taking himself and his box out, Siegfried began quickly heading to the clock tower. There were many steps and he took them three at a time, hoping against hope that his lover would be there.

To his utter relief, Karna was there. Sitting on the edge of the clock tower, idly swinging his legs. Siegfried just stopped for a moment to drink him in. His golden armor caught the setting sun, glittering with brilliant light. His red cloak seemed to glow, burnished by the dying light. To Siegfried, he was like an angel come to earth. The setting was perfect too, the rough brickwork of the tower and the cold stone of the ledge. Siegfried moved to join him and Karna looked over sharply, setting his earring to jangling. Then he smiled. To Siegfried, Karna’s smile was the most beautiful thing in the world.

“I am so glad you are here,” Siegfried said as he sat down beside Karna, lowering himself onto the hard stone with one hand. It was cool and grey, slightly scratchy beneath his palm. “Ah, this is for you,” he said, offering Karna the box of chocolates. Karna looked momentarily surprised before his face lit with a brilliant smile.

“Thank you so much,” Karna said, taking the box. Siegfried watched with a smile as he opened it… then frowned as Karna stared at the contents, an odd expression on his face. Siegfried looked at the box, his eyes widening in shock as a feeling of horror hit his heart. Half the chocolates were gone?!? And of the other half, many had been bitten, as if the person eating them had decided they weren’t to his taste?!?

“Oh my god I am so sorry!” Siegfried said, trying to understand what had happened. His Master had a sweet tooth but he would never give a gift in this condition. No, he would have kept it for himself and bought a new one. Which meant that someone else had done this but… Siegfried groaned as the answer came to him. “Astolfo…!” He could see it all now. Astolfo had found the chocolates when he was snooping around and justifying it on the grounds that they were OBVIOUSLY for him, he’d started eating them. After all, OF COURSE their Master meant the gift for Astolfo, who else could they be for? Siegfried put a hand over his eyes. “I am so terribly sorry.” He should have checked. But he’d never imagined there could be anything wrong. Karna’s soft giggle made him drop his hand a little and Siegfried saw he was holding a half-eaten chocolate.

“Astolfo doesn’t like nougat but I do,” Karna said softly before popping the chocolate in his mouth. Siegfried’s embarrassment receded as Karna chewed slowly, savoring the flavor. Then his lover gave him an impish smile. “It’s fine, they are good. Here, have one,” he said before reaching up and placing one of the whole chocolates against his lips. Siegfried blushed but accepted the morsel, nipping it out of Karna’s fingers. It was a caramel nut and Siegfried enjoyed the crunch, the salt of the caramel. Mmm. Reaching out, Siegfried found another whole chocolate and offered it to Karna. Karna sucked it off his fingers, a smooth movement of his tongue and lips. Siegfried felt almost spellbound.

_He is so beautiful._ As Karna half-closed his eyes and chewed his candy, the last rays of the sun caught his hair, giving him a luminous glow. It was like a halo and Siegfried felt unbelievably honored that this person had chosen him. _I am not worthy of this._ If he were truly worthy, he would have found a way to free his love from his bondage…

“Siegfried.” Karna’s voice broke him out of his sudden pain and Siegfried gasped as a hand touched his cheek, meeting blue eyes that were so calm and wise. “Don’t do that. It doesn’t help and just makes us both sad.” Yes. Siegfried knew that was true. “Just enjoy the moment. Have another chocolate,” Karna said before smiling impishly. “A half-eaten nougat.”

“Have to kill Astolfo for this,” Siegfried muttered, more to distract himself than out of any anger. Karna laughed softly, shaking his head.

“He is what he is.” That was all too true. Siegfried found Astolfo amusing but couldn’t imagine having the crazed paladin as a lover. Far too insane. Then Karna was offering him that half-eaten nougat and Siegfried took it with a small laugh.

It was a beautiful way to end the day.


	6. Food Fight!

Siegfried wasn’t planning to mention the chocolates.

It had all worked out, after all. Karna didn’t mind, had laughed a bit and the chocolates were delicious. So Siegfried saw no reason to get Astolfo in trouble with their Master. Yes, it had been rude and self-centred, but that was Astolfo’s nature. He wasn’t going to change.

But Siegfried had reckoned without the incalculable force that was Astolfo’s ego.

“Where are my chocolates?!?” Astolfo stormed into the mess hall, extremely upset. “SIEGFRIED! Did you take my chocolates?!” Siegfried almost dropped his spoon into his porridge. Was Astolfo actually…? Karna giggled while everyone else listened with mild curiosity, or paid no attention at all.

“You mean the chocolates my Master had been keeping in his rooms?” Siegfried said in an even tone. Internally, though, he was getting angry. “The ones he gave to me as a gift?” Siegfried’s tone was frosty but Astolfo didn’t seem to care.

“That’s absurd! Why would he give chocolates to YOU? You just stole them!” Siegfried’s eyes narrowed at that accusation. He had a long fuse but Astolfo was very much trying his patience. More people were paying attention to them now. “You had better replace them!”

“Very well, I will replace them with something else,” Siegfried said with perfect insincerity. Then he shoved his bowl of porridge into Astolfo’s face. There was a jelly like silence as the knight of Charlemagne stood with a bowl over his face. Then it fell down and porridge oozed down, splattering Astolfo’s clothing. The silence grew more profound as Astolfo started to shake.

“YOU – !” Then the explosion came in the form of Astolfo grabbing a pot of hot tea from another table and throwing it at him. Siegfried dodged and regretted it as the pot hit Karna before exploded all over the table, fouling everyone’s meals. Of course, that set Spartacus off.

“LITTLE ONE!” Then another bowl of porridge was flying through the air but it missed Astolfo, owing to his high agility, hitting Achilles instead. The hot headed Greek wasn’t about to allow that defilement to pass and at that point the whole thing began to devolve, the more level-headed heroic spirits running for cover while the rest of them engaged in the melee. Siegfried grabbed a ladle for a makeshift weapon to defend himself from an enraged Astolfo, and regretted nothing.

Some things were going too far.

* * *

 

Arjuna took cover beneath the table as soon as the tea went splashing. Feeling the need to make up for past deeds, if only in a tiny way, he dragged Karna down with him. The nameless Assassin joined them but that was it. Arjuna heard laughter from Jing Ke and Shakespeare trying frantically to reason with someone. (his love of talking sometimes blinded him to the fact that running was a better course) Then a very loud yelp and splat, indicating something unfortunate had just happened to the poet.

“Siegfried!” Karna was very concerned and ready to jump out but Arjuna grabbed one arm as the Assassin grabbed the other.

“He can take care of himself, he caused this.” Essentially true although Arjuna could understand Siegfried’s reaction. If he was understanding the situation correctly, Arjuna thought he would have been tempted to shoot Astolfo, not just push porridge into his face. “This table is in danger – “ As if to emphasis his words, a body slammed onto it before falling off. Oh dear, Shakespeare. “Come on, let’s go – “ The Assassin let go of Karna and eeled out. Arjuna followed behind, keeping a firm grip on Karna’s arm. Karna was reluctant to go. As they got out from under the table the Assassin paused to urge a dazed Shakespeare to his feet. He was covered in what looked like soft-boiled egg.

They made it to the safety of the door just as there was a loud crashing sound. Glancing back, Arjuna saw that Spartacus had landed in the middle of the breakfast table and, giving up the ghost, it had collapsed. Thank heaven they were no longer beneath it.

“What in HELL is going on here?!?” Arjuna transferred his gaze to the person in front of them. A short, wizened woman who crackled with mystical energy – even as a non-magus and a Servant, Arjuna could feel it – she was the Grand Master. He hesitated, not wanting to incriminate Siegfried, but then the Assassin spoke.

“A brawl, I’m not certain what started it,” he said, lying smoothly. “It might be wisest to let them work it out as long as no one draws weapons.” And no one seemed to be going that far although Berserkers hardly needed them. Arjuna wasn’t sure this was wise but considering the difficulty of restraining that many Heroic Spirits, well. Perhaps it was the only option.

“I think not,” she said sharply and Arjuna saw the Assassin grimace as Shakespeare tried to clean some of the egg off his face. Marching past them, she lifted her hand and Arjuna’s eyes widened as he felt… what was that?

Whatever it was, it had an instant effect. All of the combatants lost control of their bodies and collapsed, some in the middle of violent acts. There was no sound but quiet breathing and the dripping of spilled porridge and tea. Arjuna swallowed at the effect, realizing what it had to be. The mystical computer that had summoned them, the Grand Master had control over it and that gave her power over the Servants. Arjuna blinked as he felt a warmth against him and looked down, realizing that Karna was huddling close to him, his face averted from the scene. Feeling the unreality of the moment, Arjuna gently patted him on the shoulder.

“All of you, fetch the Masters of these fools. They can clean up their trash,” the Grand Master said coldly and Arjuna’s eyes narrowed. He heard the Assassin’s annoyed sigh before he vanished, presumably to do that. Shakespeare vanished a moment later. “Dolls!” The servants hesitantly re-entered the room to begin the process of cleaning it.

“Let’s find David,” Karna said softly and Arjuna hesitated. He wasn’t sure who that was. “Siegfried and Astolfo’s Master.”

“Ah.” That clarified it nicely. Very few of the Masters had the strength to maintain two Servants, even with the computer helping to support. Siegfried’s Master was one of them. Arjuna knew he came from a very prominent family, but was a younger son, without a Mage Crest. So being a Master here was an esteemed position for him. Arjuna fixed the name in his mind – he’d mostly heard the man being referred to by his last name – as they searched for him. Although it was a very short search that involved Karna leading him through the complex to the door outside.

Arjuna had already known there was a pool on the grounds, he’d enjoyed it several times. It had little tables with umbrellas, making it perfect for lunches. He hadn’t guessed the Masters would take breakfasts there, though. To his surprise, that was what a small group of them were doing, wearing warm jackets to protect themselves from the early morning breezes.

“Huh? Karna and Arjuna? What’s wrong?” David asked, finishing a breakfast sandwich. It looked very good, full of melting cheese. Karna hesitated and Arjuna filled the gap.

“There was been an altercation in the mess hall. Both of your Servants were involved, the Grand Master wants you to collect them,” Arjuna said before glancing over the other two Masters at the table. It was hard to keep everyone straight but… “Are you the Master of Achilles? You should come as well,” he said and the woman in question rose with a resigned expression.

“He would never miss a good brawl, but it’s awfully early. What started it?” she asked and Arjuna shrugged.

“I am not certain,” he lied, following the Assassin’s lead. He was sure David would end up punishing his Servants – it was likely Astolfo would complain about Siegfried, in his utter conviction that he was right – but the Grand Master didn’t need to know. The woman sighed.

“Of course, no one ever knows. But we’re about done anyway…” All three of the Masters left their breakfast, the third taking his sandwich with him. Arjuna thought he was going along mostly out of curiosity.

“Spartacus’ Master will be in her rooms,” Karna said softly and Arjuna nodded. He pitied that Master. Spartacus would not forgive or forget the use of a Command Seal and could not be reasoned with, so she had as little to do with her Servant as possible. It wasn’t a good situation but there was no help for it. “I will show you.” Ah, excellent, Arjuna didn’t know the location of every Master yet.

When that message was delivered they checked into the mess hall and found that most of the Masters were collecting their Servants. Arjuna thought their work was done, if there were a few stragglers who had to take themselves home it wouldn’t matter. He hesitated, wondering what to do. Then a hand gently rested on his arm.

“Siegfried will be busy now,” Karna said with a trace of sadness. Arjuna nodded. “Would you like to come to the pool? We can get some breakfast there instead.” Arjuna was a touch surprised at the invitation – it would be the first time he’d spoken to his brother privately – but nodded.

“I would enjoy that.” He’d barely started eating when all this had happened. Karna smiled at him and they both headed back out to the pool. It was empty except for a doll cleaning the tables and Karna accosted it, politely requesting whatever was available. The doll dipped it’s… no, his, this one appeared to be male… head before vanishing to find some food for them. Karna settled down across from him, adjusting his cloak to make himself comfortable. Arjuna noticed that the way he did it, delicately settling the red fabric as though it was lace.

“It cannot tear, you know,” Arjuna said, amused, then immediately cursed himself. Karna might easily take offense to that and there was already enough bad blood between them. Fortunately, his brother just looked embarrassed.

“I know… he treated it roughly but… I can’t. It bothers me,” Karna said so softly, Arjuna could barely here. And ‘he’? Was Karna talking about himself, or rather, the real Karna? “Some things are hard to get used to. The earring is hard, it is so large, I always – “ Then Karna shook his head and as if on cue, managed to hit himself with the earring. Arjuna would have thought it was deliberate if it wasn’t for the mortification on Karna’s face.

“It is nothing to worry about,” Arjuna said easily as Karna reached up to push the earring back. He was blushing a little, a dusting of pink on his cheeks. “This is a very pretty place. Do our Masters always take breakfast here?” Arjuna asked, just making conversation. Karna nodded.

“In the summer, David always does, with his friends,” Karna said softly. “In the winter, they usually have breakfast in the little study beside the library. For supper it’s the same… they hardly ever eat in the main dining room.” Karna shrugged slightly and his cloak rippled. “They don’t like politics with their food.”

“Hm.” Arjuna could certainly understand that. As a prince, he’d suffered through exactly that on many occasions. Then the doll was returning with a teapot and croissants. As well as a serrated knife to cut them with and a variety of spreads, including butter, honey and something dark. What was that? “Thank you,” he said graciously to the doll, who bowed his head before going back to his cleaning. Arjuna reached for the tea, pouring himself a bit to test the color. Deciding it was dark enough, he poured himself a cup as Karna cut open a croissant and slathered it with the dark spread. Hm. “Karna, what is that?” Arjuna asked, curious, and Karna looked at him in surprise.

“You don’t know Nutella? You have to try it, it’s amazing.” That didn’t tell him what it was though and Arjuna was suspicious of that kind of claim now. That one idiot who had told him lutefisk was the most amazing dish in the world… “It’s hazelnuts and chocolate.” Ah.

“That does sound good, thank you,” Arjuna said with a smile before cutting a croissant in half. Half of it, he buttered, the other half he used the hazelnut spread. Biting into the flakey pastry he half-closed his eyes in pleasure. Mm, delicious. They ate in silence for a while before Karna spoke.

“Arjuna… can you tell me about our mother?” What? Arjuna’s attention snapped to Karna and he saw Karna was looking down in his tea, a melancholy expression on his face. “I… only saw the worst side of her, I think.”

“What do you mean?” Arjuna asked, unable to restrain his curiosity. Karna hesitated, biting his lower lip. “I will not take offense.” Karna would surely say something that was harsh yet true. It was his nature and if anything, the doll seemed less forgiving to Kunti than the real Karna would have been. Karna sipped his tea before squaring his shoulders and meeting Arjuna’s gazez.

“She came to me, right before the battle where I died,” he said quietly. “She told me she was my mother and wanted me to join you, all the brothers together. She spun a beautiful image of how it could be.” Karna paused for a moment to sip his tea. “It was beautiful but it was wrong. Why did she wait so long?” Karna asked, but then answered himself. “It let her be the hero. If she could bring me back at that moment, she would have stopped a war. Public acclaim would be hers, no judgement, no shame,” Karna’s tone had an edge of bitterness and Arjuna stared. It was so unlike him. “She could have spoken so many times but she did not want the shame. She only came to me when she feared you would die, when it was most convenient for her. It was wrong,” Karna said and his tone was uncompromising. Arjuna found that he could not deny his brother’s charges.

“Our mother had a selfish nature but she was a good woman despite it,” Arjuna said softly and saw Karna’s eyes flicker up, the bitterness fading to curiosity.

“I know… I know there must have been more to her than that. I never knew her at all, not really. Or any of you. Can you tell me?” Karna asked and Arjuna did his best. He tried to paint a picture of all his brothers and their mother, the relations between them. Karna reciprocated with a few amusing stories, not about Duryodhana – likely because it was a sore point – but some of the other Kauravas. Karna’s own poor communication skills came into it, leading to at least one hilarious misunderstanding.

Arjuna found, to his own surprise, that he felt completely at ease with Karna. His eyes still saw deeply but he also possessed the tact not to use his insights. A gentleness shone through and Arjuna realized, more than ever, that he was not really conversing with his brother. And yet, that made the whole experience more pleasant. Karna had been difficult to know and even more difficult to love. This ‘Karna’ was nearly the opposite.

They were just finishing their meal when Karna’s expression suddenly shifted to mild panic and he jumped to his feet.

“He is calling me – I must go – “ then Karna was hurrying away, almost running. Arjuna was surprised by the abrupt summons and frowned as he watched his brother go. A Master’s summons conveyed how urgently a spirit was wanted and from the way Karna had left, his had been sharp. But then, his Master was a demanding sort. Sighing softly, Arjuna stood and stretched for a moment before going to check the duty roster. As he did, he quietly thought.

There had to be some way to free Karna. He just needed to find it.


	7. Chapter 7

Arjuna despised class limitations.

Arjuna recognized it made sense. They were all expensive enough, mana wise, already. Trying to summon a complete hero with all his abilities would be taking that mana drain to another level. Still, it was beyond annoying. As an Archer, Arjuna only had one sad little melee weapon, a knife he used for general tasks and trimming his arrows. He was disgustingly vulnerable to melee attacks and Lancers were his bane, which had a particular tinge of irony considering Karna’s class.

They were engaged in a campaign now, that had lasted nearly a week. This was a temporal disturbance in medieval Britain and they were fighting twisted knights, uncorrupted but clueless knights, and dragons. Well, wyverns. Those wretched things seemed to be everywhere.

Right now, they were in a pitched battle with corrupted knights and dragons. Arjuna narrowed his eyes before sending out carefully aimed arrows. The melee was close now and he had to be careful not to hit any allies. Only his skill with a bow made it possible. Vaguely, Arjuna saw a Lancer spotting him and taking aim. Hooves thundered as the blackened knight made his charge but Arjuna didn’t move from his spot or even aim at the knight, just concentrating on his task. He was confident that very soon, his cover would arrive.

And it did, in the form of golden birds carrying lines of beautiful gold. One darted in front of the horses’ legs, acting like a tripwire and sending the horse tumbling. The second was a noose that caught the knight and he couldn’t stop or do anything to avoid it. Arjuna could hear the brutal snap of a neck and then the bird vanished, letting the corpse go tumbling. The horse had a broken leg and started to scream. Arjuna silenced it with a single arrow. It was a waste of his time but he hated the pain of animals.

“Thank you,” Arjuna murmured although he knew Karna couldn’t hear. He was engaging wyverns near Siegfried and Spartacus, tearing them to pieces with consummate skill. In particular, Karna was shadowing Spartacus, who had no survival instinct and didn’t understand the word ‘retreat’. Arjuna had observed that Karna often used his birds to ‘leash’ the Berserker, keeping him from running after the enemy when they went into retreat.

That was needed today. The enemy finally gave up the fight, fleeing the battlefield. Spartacus would have followed, to his own detriment, but Karna used the birds to gently but firmly reign him in. When the enemy was out of sight, he completed the job by jumping into Spartacus’ arms. That redirected the Berserker wonderfully and he laughed as he carried Karna off, back to their camp.

They had made camp in a very good spot, beside a river. The Masters had created bounded fields and mystical warnings, to keep them safe while they slept. Arjuna paused at the bank of the river to wash his face and then looked up as he heard a high-pitched yelp. Then his eyes widened in shock as Karna landed in the water on his back, with a resounding splash.

“Spartacus…!” Arjuna turned his head to see both Siegfried and Astolfo double teaming the Berserker. Between the two of them, they got him off balance and pitched him into the water after Karna. But on the way down, Spartacus caught a bit of Astolfo’s cloak and he couldn’t free himself in time. Arjuna watched with wonder as two more Heroic Spirits hit the water. The only one left dry was Siegfried, which immediately changed as he jumped in to fish out Astolfo, who couldn’t seem to swim. Karna paddled over to Spartacus to jump on his shoulders, making the Berserker grin.

“My little one is cool!” Ah, he’d thought that Karna needed to cool off? That would be fairly typical of Spartacus. When he got an idea in his head, it couldn’t be dislodged. “I shall teach my little one to swim!” Arjuna saw Karna’s shoulders shaking with amusement. He couldn’t hear what Karna said to Spartacus, but then a very loud swimming lesson began in earnest.

Bemused by the whole thing – Arjuna was sure Karna didn’t need help with his swimming technique – Arjuna abandoned them to go see what was cooking.

It turned out to be interesting and a little appalling.

“Okay, this is looking good. Normally this wouldn’t be done for hours,” Siegfried’s Master said, working with a very odd looking pot. Arjuna frowned as he looked it over. It had odd mechanisms, some kind of valve? “But this is a pressure cooker so we’re going to have it done in thirty minutes!” Wait, what? “Okay, the trick is to seal this up properly…” He began working with the lid and Arjuna was fascinated to watch as he slid everything in place. “You see?”

“Interesting. It does make it impossible to add extra ingredients,” the nameless Assassin said and Arjuna realized he’d stumbled over an impromptu cooking class. “There’s no chance of explosion?” …Wait, what?

“Oh, not really, not with these nice modern ones. They used to be trickier, it’s true,” David said and Arjuna drifted closer. He really wasn’t much of a cook but this was interesting. How did it work?

“How does it work?” Arjuna asked, unable to restrain his curiosity.

“Oh hey, Arjuna! Do you know if there’s such a thing as mental earplugs? Astolfo’s screaming at me and I’m ignoring him.” HAH! “Anyway, this works by harnessing the power of steam. If you can increase the pressure inside the cooking vessel, you can cook things way, way faster. We have some horse meat in here. Oh, don’t tell Siegfried, he doesn’t like eating horses.” Really? That seemed odd. They were lovely creatures but after they were dead, it was a shame to waste the meat. And a battle like the one they’d just had had generated plenty of dead horses.

Putting aside that odd foible, Arjuna accepted a cup of wine and took a place at the fire. The stew was done with preternatural speed and was soon being portioned out. As soon as the food was done, the group of Heroic Spirits in the water came back, sopping wet and pleased with themselves. Well, mostly.

“UGH! I do NOT need swimming lessons! And Master, where were you?!? I needed you to save me!” Astolfo complained as he wrung out his hair, then his cloak. Fortunately far from the fire. David didn’t look up from the stew.

“You’re a big boy, you can take care of yourself. Here, have some wine and stew,” he said which neatly distracted the Knight of Charlemagne. Arjuna thought they were lucky someone as levelheaded as David had gotten the volatile yet charming Astolfo. He handled the spirit well.

Soon they were all settled by the fire, enjoying the heavy stew. It was full of dried mushrooms, now plump and flavorful, as well as onions, garlic and barley. It wasn’t very similar to the curries Arjuna had enjoyed when alive – the spices were completely different, rosemary and thyme – but still delicious. The meat was particularly tender and Arjuna made a mental note of the pressure cooker. That seemed like a fascinating invention.

There was quiet conversation as they ate and Arjuna saw Karna nestled between Siegfried and Spartacus. He looked very comfortable there and Arjuna vaguely wished it could always be like this. They were extremely lucky that Karna’s Master had decided not to come. If he had, the atmosphere in the camp would be very different.

As the sun began to set, though, something marvelous happened.

“Arjuna hasn’t heard it. Karna, sing for us,” Siegfried gently coaxed Karna, who seemed slightly reluctant. Then Spartacus added his voice.

“Yes little one! Praise the sun as it sets upon another glorious day of victory against the oppressors!” Eh? Arjuna’s interest sharpened. He happened to know that the real Karna, his brother, was a poor singer at best. He typically didn’t sing at all, just mouthing the words. Karna was finally urged to his feet and Arjuna blinked as his brother gave him an almost guilty glance, reaching up to fiddle with his earring. Then Karna turned towards the setting sun and squared his shoulders, seeming to fall into a trance.

When he opened his mouth, what came out was beautiful. Arjuna was spellbound as he heard the hymn, an ancient liturgical piece dedicated to Surya. Karna’s voice soared like birdsong, making the common music into something light and ethereal. The odd, androgynous qualify of his voice seemed to make the music more beautiful and even as he watched, Karna began to dance. That dancing was entirely his brother and fit the music perfectly.

When it ended, Arjuna shook himself out of his trance and joined everyone in giving Karna applause. His brother blushed, a light flush of red on his cheeks, and bowed before taking his place at the fire again.

“Now it’s my turn!” Astolfo jumped up and there were a few groans and laughter. “Sing for me while I dance!” Karna’s soft laughter rang out and he sang, this time a modern song with semi-obscene lyrics. It worked well with Astolfo’s style of dancing and the result was humorous. It got even better when Siegfried got involved, sweeping Astolfo into his arms and dancing with the other Knight as if he was a maiden. Something Astolfo was more than willing to cooperate with, amusingly.

Soon the sun had fully set and they all retired to their tents, except Arjuna. He’d pulled first watch – they didn’t completely trust the magical safeguards – and he found a good place to sit, gazing up at the moon. It was full and cast a gentle light, illuminating the campsite and the fading remains of the fire. As he sat, Arjuna’s thoughts ranged to the past and his memories of Karna. It was… almost painful to think, but he liked the doll infinitely more than his real brother. Closing his eyes for a moment, Arjuna tried to make peace with that fact. It made him feel guilty and yet, it was not wrong.

In this time and place, it was just how things were.

* * *

 

_Several weeks later._

Arjuna hovered over his Master’s shoulder, watching over her at the meeting.

Many Servants were there, hovering over their Master’s shoulders. Arjuna could sense them all and knew if they all suddenly materialized, the room would be full to the brim. That was why they were all dematerialized, save one. Arjuna silently turned his gaze towards Karna. He was standing against the wall behind his Master, still as a statue, holding his spear as he gazed away calmly. Karna’s physical presence had nothing to do with grandstanding, although Arjuna was sure his Master enjoyed showing off the power he commanded. But the doll body meant that Karna was the one spirit in the manor who couldn’t dematerialize.

Arjuna happened to still be looking at Karna when the discussion turned to an issue in a place called Las Vegas. Apparently, in one particular timeline the Grail had been won and it was having the effect on the reality there. More subtle than simple destruction, everyone within the area was changing to fit a mold taken from the past, not even realizing it. From what the computer said, a rogue Servant had seized the Grail for himself and was using the energies to re-establish his pre-eminence. The Masters were just discussing what Servants to send and Arjuna’s name had come up when Karna stiffened.

“You mustn’t,” Karna’s voice was shockingly loud and Arjuna blinked as all the Master’s fell silent and looked at him. “If you send Arjuna, no one will return.” …!? “Send the nameless Assassin and your victory shall be assured.” Arjuna felt a bit of shock. Why would that Assassin be more suited to this mission than himself? He was a vastly more powerful spirit! Quickly turning his attention to Karna’s Master, he saw the man’s lips were tight and he seemed most displeased with Karna’s interruption. Karna suddenly shrank back on himself and looked down as he realized he’d become the centre of attention.

“Hmph. Is this a prophecy?” The Grand Master asked acerbically and Karna just kept looking away. Arjuna’s Master quickly spoke.

“We shouldn’t chance that it is. Send the nameless Assassin, but with someone powerful for backup. Achilles?” _Is this alright with you Arjuna?_ Martine silently asked him.

_It is fine Master. I only wonder what challenge I am unsuited for,_ Arjuna said calmly. He could not imagine why his presence could bring about a complete failure. He was the Awarded Hero, after all. Well, he could find out when this team returned. Better yet, he could ask Karna. But if this was true prophecy, and Arjuna had a feeling it was, Karna likely wouldn’t know. Hn, another power Karna shouldn’t have.

As the meeting continued, Arjuna pondered it. Female, with magical birds that seemed to be related to music and the sun. A gift for prophecy and the ability to see just a little into the future when placed in danger. This sounded like some kind of priestess to him, deeply touched by her chosen god. A child of that god? Perhaps, it would explain how the Master had managed to bind Karna to it. Arjuna wondered if he could find any record of this person in history, then glumly reflected that the nameless Assassin, in particular, had probably already done this. Arjuna should ask the man before he went about re-inventing the wheel.

When they were leaving Arjuna did not follow his Master. Instead he trailed after Karna and his Master, noticing that the man was moving quickly, leaving the other Master’s behind. The Master was difficult to read but Karna’s posture was another matter. He was both fearful and diffident, silently trying to apologize with his every move even as he hurried to keep up. So Arjuna was expecting some kind of explosion. Likely the Master would turn and yell at his Servant.

He wasn’t expecting the Master to turn around and _punch Karna in the face._

Arjuna felt paralyzed, as he saw his brother go flying and hit the wall with a clatter of armor. Karna slid down, a grimace of pain on his face and Arjuna could see a thin trickle of blood sliding down his face from a gash in his forehead. Then the Master gripped his hair and pulled him up.

“You know what happens to bitches who speak out of turn, kurva,” he said in a quiet but deadly tone before slapping Karna. It was a vicious blow and Arjuna saw blood spray in a fine film from Karna’s mouth, little droplets dewing the wall.

Arjuna couldn’t take it. He didn’t even realize he’d materialized until he had Gandiva pointing at the magus, a blue arrow fully nocked and ready to be fired. Arjuna wanted to fire it, more than anything in the world, but the Command Seal locked him in place. The magus was startled by his sudden appearance but quickly recovered, just looking at his bow for a moment. Then blue eyes moved to him, cold and calculating. The magus smiled before _slapping Karna again!_

Arjuna’s arms shook. His vision blurred as he felt like there was an iron bar on his chest, strangling him. He fought, with all his strength, to take that simple action and release his arrow. He could vaguely feel sweat trickling down his face as the bar constricted more and more and Arjuna vaguely realized it was a physical sensation, he was in fact suffocating but it didn’t matter, all that mattered was his arrow –

_Arjuna, come to me right now!_ In the midst of fighting one Command Seal, Arjuna had no hope. He was swept away from the confrontation to his Master’s side. The first Command Seal released him and Arjuna reeled, suddenly dematerialized. Then, as he regained his senses, Arjuna was utterly outraged.

_Master…!_ Arjuna started and saw her wince at his tone. _How could you?!_ He _needed_ to kill that man. Arjuna had already known that Karna suffered physical abuse but seeing it that way… and the way the man had slapped Karna _as he stood there…_ Arjuna had rarely confronted such evil.

“Arjuna, calm down.” Calm down?! How was he supposed to calm down after seeing THAT? “I know it’s pretty terrible but we can’t do anything about it. The Grand Master would have a fit and you know why.” …Actually he didn’t know why, not really.

_Why does she care so much about that man?_ Arjuna asked sharply and Martine looked surprised.

“Oh, right, you’re not a magus… the doll Arjuna. He built the doll, fused it with Karna, and bound it to him as a Master.” Yes, he knew all this – “It stops the moment he dies.” Wait, what?! “The doll isn’t like the other Heroic Spirits here, the computer can’t just assign it a new Master, it will come apart if he dies. Karna could still be summoned but not like this and be honest Arjuna. Isn’t he stronger as he is now?” …

_I see,_ Arjuna said coldly, finally understanding how Karna’s Master had made himself so indispensable.  It was true, Karna was more powerful in this incarnation than he’d been when he was alive. The ability to see a very short distance into the future was simply too powerful. And even worse. If they succeeded in killing the magus, what would happen to the female spirit inhabiting the doll? If it was another Heroic Spirit or some kind of wraith, it would likely vanish and never be seen again. If he’d been materialized, Arjuna would have ground his teeth together. _This is utterly vile,_ he finally said. _And I swear that I will do my utmost to end it._ Arjuna saw his Master wince again.

“I know, I know… look, why don’t you go keep an eye on Siegfried or something? Karna wouldn’t want him to get into trouble.” That was… not a bad idea. Arjuna understood much better why the other Heroic Spirit drank, now.

For those who had been so powerful in life, helplessness was a bitter pill to swallow.


	8. Chapter 8

The next few days were trying at best.

Karna was completely missing and removed from the duty rooster, his place given to Siegfried. That at least kept the other Heroic Spirit somewhat out of trouble, although Arjuna overheard his Master giving the Wandering Swordsman a combination of lecture and pep talk. David was reminding Siegfried of how much he meant to everyone, particularly Karna, and that he needed to give his all to the battle no matter what was happening elsewhere. The speech was delivered with passion and Arjuna wondered how worried the Master was for his Servant. Very worried was his guess.

Siegfried was still very depressed, though, and Spartacus was inconsolable. The hulking Berserker began wandering around the manor, looking in odd places for his little one. He seemed convinced that Karna had to be hiding somewhere and could be found if Spartacus just looked hard enough. Arjuna didn’t need the backup but on the second day he pretended he did and convinced Spartacus to come with him. Controlling the Berserker was difficult but it gave him something to do, enemies to rebel against.

On the third day, Karna was returned to them. But it wasn’t a happy reunion.

It wasn’t entirely chance that Arjuna found him first. Unlike Spartacus, who had no reason, Arjuna knew precisely where Karna was… the lowest level of the manor, the space that housed the great system that managed them all. So Arjuna was haunting that area, as close to it as he could get, between missions. Nor was he the only one with that idea… the Assassin and Siegfried were doing the same, when they had time. Everyone else had their duties and left it to them.

So Arjuna happened to find Karna and it was not a pretty sight.

Arjuna heard him first. A strange shuffle-thud, the ring of metal on stone. He quickly turned a corner and saw his brother, using his lance as a crutch as he struggled to walk. His gait was all wrong, his left leg seemed to be frozen, but even worse was the blood dripping from the corners of Karna’s lips. Arjuna was instantly by his side, putting an arm around Karna and lending his brother support. As he did, he noticed how light Karna was.

_Master, come quickly, I need help,_ Arjuna said urgently as he half-helped, half-carried his brother. Karna coughed and put a hand in front of his mouth to catch the mist of blood. Arjuna felt sick as he observed that. “It’s going to be alright,” Arjuna said aloud. “My Master is coming.” Karna laboriously shook his head as he kept moving. The lance in his right hand, Arjuna supporting him on his left, they were able to move with reasonable speed.

“Arjuna, what’s… oh.” His Master stopped dead as she saw the scene and Arjuna frowned at the look on her face. Taken aback for just a moment but then stern? “I can’t help with this.” WHAT?!

“Master, you must heal him,” Arjuna said sharply as he felt Karna’s shaking breathing. His brother’s hand gripped his shoulder and squeezed but Arjuna ignored him, focusing on his Master. “I demand it!” Martine glared back, undaunted by his demand.

“No. Karna’s Master is my cousin!” she retorted and Arjuna ground his teeth. Why should that matter?! “It doesn’t matter if David does it, they’ve been enemies forever but if I heal him I’ll be his enemy TOO!” Arjuna felt a jolt as he suddenly realized his Master was afraid, beneath her angry surface. “And I’m his cousin so he won’t forgive me! I can’t!” Karna squeezed him again and Arjuna looked at his brother. His head was down and he coughed, bringing up another cloud of blood.

“Karna, is she telling the truth?” Arjuna asked tightly and felt a flare of fury as Karna nodded his head, his eyes closed. “Then get out of the way,” he said coldly to his Master, who quickly moved aside. She did trail behind them, though, as they made their way through the halls.

“Why did you ask him?” Martine asked, to Arjuna’s irritation. The answer was obvious.

“Discernment of the Poor,” Arjuna said shortly and felt an odd shudder from Karna. There was a dead silence, broken only by the tink of his lance hitting the floor.

“What is that?” his Master asked and Arjuna blinked, attention finally going to her, although he didn’t stop helping Karna for a moment.

“Karna’s ability to discern the truth. He cannot be lied to,” Arjuna said, wondering why she didn’t know this. Martine stared at him like he’d grown a second head and then Karna stumbled. Arjuna took his attention from her, steadying his brother until he caught his balance.

“Oh my god are you serious? No one knows about this!” They didn’t? “That BITCH! No wonder he has his face so far up her butt!” …She was talking about the Grand Master… wait. If no one knew about Discernment of the Poor then – “He’s been a little spy in all of our meetings! I can’t believe this! Although it’s incredible blackmail material…” Arjuna felt a lurch and glanced over to see Karna emphatically shaking his head in negation. “Oh, yes, you’re right that’s far too dangerous. Arjuna, Arjuna, listen, I need you to do something.”

“What?” Arjuna said absently as he considered the next challenge, a flight of stairs. Oh hell with it. “Karna, dispel your spear, I will carry you.” It would be faster. Karna nodded and made the spear vanish. As soon as it did, though, he crumpled. Arjuna was ready, catching him easily.

“I need you to have a talk with Astolfo and somehow drop that, can you do it?” Easily enough and Arjuna understood.

“Yes Master, I will, as soon as it’s plausible,” Arjuna said calmly. If he told Astolfo, soon everyone in the manor would know. And this was making a great deal of sense to him. The only ones who knew the abilities of a Servant were the Master and, through the computer that governed them, the Grand Master. Karna could simply be ordered not to mention it and no one would know about Discernment of the Poor. As she’d said, they were using Karna as a kind of spy. No doubt he reported to his Master constantly during meetings via their mental connection. Then he frowned as he thought of something and Arjuna glanced down at Karna as he hefted his brother in his arms. “If that will not cause you issues?” Arjuna asked him and Karna shook. After a moment of confusion, Arjuna realized it was silent laughter. Then his brother raised a hand and gave him a thumbs up with a small, pained smile. “Ah.” Of course Karna wanted to get back at his Master any way he could.

Arjuna carried Karna up the stairs but didn’t set him back down at the top. This was infinitely faster and his brother was light for a grown man. Arjuna turned a corner and almost ran into Shakespeare. The other Servant’s eyes widened as he took in the scene.

“Oh dear god – just stay here, I’ll get David and Siegfried – “ That would be much appreciated. Arjuna nodded and Shakespeare vanished, dematerializing to search quickly. Arjuna gently eased Karna to the floor, seeing a streak of blood on his white clothing. It reminded him… Arjuna shook the thought away as he knelt beside Karna. He gently took his brother’s hand, feeling the fingers that were surprisingly delicate, long and dainty. Yet, they were also rough with calluses, a man’s hands. How strange, that this was the first time he’d ever held his brother’s hands.

“They will be here soon,” Arjuna murmured and Karna nodded before coughing again. This time the puff of blood from his lips landed on his chest, staining the white skin and the brilliant jewels a darker red. Arjuna swallowed hard before gently squeezing Karna’s hands. His head turned and aquamarine eyes looked at him, sad and inexpressibly weary. Yet, Karna smiled before squeezing him back. Arjuna wondered how fate could have brought them together so.

He didn’t have long to think about it, though, as David and Siegfried hurried up. David knelt beside Karna and Arjuna let go of his hand, moving aside so Siegfried could take his place. Karna’s smile brightened as he saw Siegfried and the powerful warrior gently nestled Karna against his chest, like a dove in the nest. David began the process of healing the damage, his expression set. The first thing he did was rest his hands around Karna’s throat in a way that might have looked threatening, in other circumstances. But the relaxation that went through Karna, the easing of the pain on his face, told a very different story.

“Siegfried, we have a problem here,” David said quietly and Siegfried’s expression was dark as he looked at his Master, although he continued to hold Karna very gently. “I’m not a doll maker and I can’t fix what isn’t there.” What?

“His vocal cords have been removed?” Arjuna asked with surprising calm, realizing as he did that he’d already known. David nodded with a small sigh as Siegfried closed his eyes, struggling to contain his rage. Karna’s hand went around his wrist, giving him a gentle squeeze.

“Yes, everything else I can repair but not that. Speaking of which…” David moved on to the rest of Karna’s body, paying particular attention to his hips. Even more pain left Karna’s face and soon he was resting comfortably in Siegfried’s arms, his eyes closed. Arjuna blinked as he realized something.

“Is he asleep?” It really looked like it. Siegfried closed his eyes for a moment before nodding.

“Denying him sleep is a common method of discipline,” Siegfried said, keeping his voice soft. His gauntleted fingers were very gentle, as he stroked Karna’s hair. Arjuna glanced at David. He was watching the two of them grimly. “It is better this way. He will be less distressed when he wakes.” Less distressed? What did that –

“LITTLE ONE!” Arjuna and Siegfried winced simultaneously. Karna started, lifting his head and blinking blearily as Spartacus ran down the hallways, his steps making the manor quiver. “My little one you are back – huh?” David had stood in front of Karna and somehow, that had stopped Spartacus cold. Arjuna suspected a general command from the computer never to harm Masters. Not that Spartacus would mean to harm David – if there was one Master he tolerated well, it was him – but he would simply have run into him.

“Hush! Karna is very tired. You may speak to him but quietly and then he is going to bed,” David said firmly and Arjuna and Siegfried both nodded. Spartacus looked a touch ashamed before taking David’s place, kneeling beside Karna and speaking in as hushed a voice as he could manage.

“My little one is alright?” he asked and Karna nodded with a small smile. But there was a flash of hurt in his eyes and Arjuna was sure Spartacus hadn’t missed it, when he reached out to gently ruffle Karna’s hair with one big hand. “Stay strong little one. Do not let the oppressor win,” Spartacus encouraged and Karna’s smile was wider and more genuine. “Siegfried, take him home and smother my little one with love!” …Ahahaha. Siegfried chuckled softly.

“Believe me, I will,” he said just before standing, Karna carried gently in his arms. Karna snuggled in and closed his eyes again, lapsing into another exhausted sleep. Arjuna trailed after them, for no real reason but reluctance to leave his brother alone.

_I am glad our mother cannot see this,_ Arjuna thought grimly. Kunti really would have fainted, seeing any of them treated this way. Arjuna also couldn’t imagine Karna’s adoptive parents seeing this. If anything, that would be worse. _I must do something._ But what? What could he do that wouldn’t get him instantly restrained by a Command Seal? They arrived at David’s suite of rooms and Arjuna could only leave them. Fortunately, Karna was in good hands. Arjuna rubbed his face as he left to go find the others and let them all know that Karna was returned and… well enough.

It wasn’t much, but it was all he could do for now.  


	9. Chapter 9

Siegfried woke up to a very pleasant sensation.

For a moment, he was confused about where he was. He thought he was in bed with his wife, her hands gently running over the pattern of light in his chest, her body pressed up so warmly behind him. Then the cobwebs cleared a little and Siegfried remembered that that had been long ago and far away. The body pressed up behind him was warmer and felt different, hard where his wife had been soft. Warm lips gently caressed the spot on his back, with the imprint of the oak leaf, and Siegfried shivered.

“Karna…” That spot of his skin was oversensitive and Karna knew it. A hot tongue slowly ran along the ridges there and Siegfried shuddered as he felt his body responding. “You want…?” Siegfried was expecting a reply. Yet, he didn’t get one, only a soft nuzzle under his ear and Siegfried swallowed as he remembered why. Then he turned around in the bed to face Karna.

Karna seemed both fragile and radiantly beautiful, his head gently pillowed on the bed and his hair lit from behind by the sun. His blue eyes were soft and vulnerable, reflecting the trauma of what had happened to him. But Karna didn’t pull away. Siegfried opened his mouth but found himself kissed. Warm lips and a firm, muscular body pressed against his and Siegfried deepened the kiss, savoring the feel of it, the way Karna’s body fit so neatly against him. Then they separated, both breathing hard and Siegfried realized that this verged on lunacy.

“You can’t possibly want to do this,” Siegfried said softly and saw a flash of raw hurt in those aqua eyes. Siegfried didn’t know exactly what happened to Karna. He often tried to convince himself that it was only torture, sleep deprivation, beatings and abuse. Yet, Siegfried knew better. Sometimes, Karna tried a bit too hard, forcing himself to be close and touch. A small shudder ran through his lover’s frame before Karna reached out to gently touch his face.

_I do,_ Karna mouthed the words and Siegfried swallowed, helpless pain tearing through him at the loss of Karna’s voice. Karna’s voice was so soft and sweet, like rain on his ears. To never hear it again…

“He will give you back your voice someday,” Siegfried said, more to convince himself than Karna. But he did believe it was true. This was a temporary punishment, until Karna had ‘learned his lesson’. And if Karna’s Master kept it up for too long, the Grand Master would finally get fed up. It was a liability after all.

Karna smiled warmly and drew him into another kiss. It started sweet and gentle but turned deep and passionate, as they tasted each other. Then Karna’s hands were on Siegfried’s chest, pushing him back. Blankets were pulled away and Siegfried’s breathing speeded up as Karna paused, just gazing at his body for a moment. Siegfried felt heat in his cheeks at that frank, appreciative gaze, the warm lust in Karna’s face. Then Karna was settling between his legs and Siegfried’s eyes went wide.

“Karna – uh…” His brief protest turned into a groan as lips fastened smoothly around his penis. Karna’s mouth was sinful and Siegfried quickly found himself becoming fully erect as he was tormented by Karna’s tongue and throat. Karna knew just how to bring him deep into his throat without choking and the tight, wet heat around his cock was simply unbelievable. “Karna I… can’t…” If Karna kept this up he was going to cum.

Karna didn’t care and despite his best efforts, Siegfried found himself coming to a climax. The pressure in his belly snapped in a moment of overwhelming pleasure and Siegfried was vaguely aware of the sound of his voice, which he struggled to stifle. Astolpho and David were sleeping… Siegfried was also aware of Karna’s throat, the vibrations as the other man swallowed his cum. Siegfried looked down, breathing heavily, and saw as Karna gently released his cock, smiling up at him with a bit of cum running down the corner of his mouth. Karna reached up to wipe it away with one finger and Siegfried watched, mesmerized. Karna sucked the fluid off his finger and Siegfried swallowed hard as blue eyes flicked towards him, warm and amused. Karna let go of his finger, the wetness glinting and despite his recent climax, Siegfried felt his body stir.

Then Karna was moving up his body, settling against him. The way white thighs snuggled around him, the brush of their genitals, was very arousing and Siegfried pulled Karna into a slow and gentle kiss. He could taste himself on Karna’s lips. It was salty and musky, not bad and very familiar.

They kissed and gently explored each other. Siegfried gently rubbed the gems in Karna’s chest, paying particular attention to the spots they joined the skin. The way Karna’s breathing speeded said that he enjoyed it. Karna’s hands trailed over his chest, pausing over the patterns of light there. White fingers slowly traced the patterns, making Siegfried shiver. Their kisses gradually went from soft and tender to deep and passionate. Ah, it all felt so good…

Siegfried knew he was erect when Karna’s hand slid around him, coated in lube, and slowly stroked him, moistening his cock. Sensing what Karna wanted, Siegfried watched with heavy lidded eyes as Karna reached behind himself, a calm and meditative expression on his face as he prepared himself for anal intercourse. Long white fingers delved deeply into his own body, spreading the lubricant deeply.

Then Karna was grasping his cock and sliding down on him and Siegfried gasped at the feel of that tight heat. Incredibly tight, holding his cock so well… Siegfried shuddered as Karna began to move, his hips making a slow, incredibly erotic motion. Siegfried rested his hands on those lithe hips, gazing up raptly at his lover. Karna was beautiful beyond words, his blue eyes hazed with desire and his lips slightly parted. There was one part of him begging for attention, though, and Siegfried gave it, gripping his cock and gently pumping it.

“You are… incredible…” Siegfried breathed as Karna’s hands rested on his chest, steadying himself as he moved. Karna bent down and white hair slid over his eyes for a moment, before Siegfried brushed it back with one hand. They kissed, Siegfried touching Karna’s cheek, feeling the soft, warm skin. He didn’t stop stroking Karna for a moment, nor did Karna stop moving. They were… enjoying this…

The sweet, unbearably pleasant moment could only last so long. Siegfried had no idea how long it took but he felt it as the tight heat around him flex, his balls tightening as he approached that moment. Karna’s cock was throbbing in his hand and the heaviness of his breathing, the need in his face, told Siegfried everything he needed to know. They were both so close.

The pressure inside his groin suddenly snapped and Siegfried vaguely heard himself crying out as he came, the pleasure wiping any other thought from his mind. Yet, he didn’t hear Karna’s voice, even when he felt his cock twitch and erupt, coating his hand with cum…

The moment passed and they were both left gasping and satisfied, bathing in the afterglow. Siegfried gazed up at his lover, seeing the satisfaction and pleasure on Karna’s face. Karna bent down to kiss him –

**_BANGBANGBANG!_** Karna flinched violently and Siegfried mentally cursed Astolfo’s name as someone pounded on the door. He was sure it wasn’t David his Master wouldn’t do that.

“HEY! Keep it down in there!” Of course, Astolfo. “We’re trying to eat breakfast! Or stop fucking and come eat something!” …Ergh… Siegfried sighed and felt shaking above him, Karna’s silent laughter. Then Karna was moving off him, their bodies parting with a soft squelch.

“We’re coming!” Siegfried called and blinked as Karna suddenly shook with laughter. “…Oh.” Oops. Hopefully Astolfo hadn’t noticed that. Shaking his head, Siegfried grabbed some tissues to clean himself up as Karna did the same. They kept tissues just for this.

Siegfried materialized their clothing but to his surprise, Karna picked out a robe instead. It was a simple white robe, meant for lounging around and Karna loosely belted it around his waist before giving Siegfried a saucy smile.

“Are you taunting Astolfo?” Siegfried asked, bemused, and Karna’s smile widened. “Imp.” Arjuna had already commented that Karna’s sense of humor was very different from the brother he remembered. Siegfried didn’t know about that, but he thought it was delightful.

Dressed as much as they wanted to be, they went out to the kitchenette. Siegfried frowned as he saw David eating a packet of instant oatmeal. Those things were absolutely loaded with sugar, he would have to take more insulin… Siegfried shook his head at himself. He couldn’t stop his Master from doing what he wanted.

“I know, I know, I shouldn’t be eating this but I don’t want to go to the dining room. I can’t stand to see that prick smirking at me right now,” David answered his unspoken admonishment and Siegfried tensed, a flash of rage pulsing through him. Karna’s Master… “Someday I’m going to say fuck it and just join your table in the Servants’ dining room.” Siegfried smiled as he joined them at the table, Karna settling in beside Astolfo.

“You’re welcome at any time,” Siegfried said lightly although he didn’t expect David to actually do it. Not only would it be a snub to his fellow Masters, it was actually a little dangerous. Brawls broke out with depressing regularity and while there was no danger to a Servant, a Master would be in mortal peril. “Is there more oatmeal?” He wouldn’t mind it.

“Sure, one sec,” David said and got up to prepare the oatmeal, heating the water with his fire magic. Astolfo glowered silently at Karna for a moment, who just smiled back sweetly. Then the paladin huffed before leaving the table.

“I’m going to the dining room, you’re making me lose my appetite,” Astolfo said before flouncing out. Karna stuck his tongue out at Astolfo’s back and Siegfried had to stifle a laugh. The door slammed just before David came back to the table, two bowls of oatmeal in hand.

“He’s just upset that his latest girlfriend dumped him,” David said absently and Siegfried chuckled softly as Karna sampled his oatmeal, smiling. “So Siegfried, we’re not on the roster for today but Karna is, would you like to go out for supper? I’ve invited Arjuna and Martine.” How interesting. Siegfried knew that David found Martine attractive, physically at least. And with his Master present Arjuna would likely go.

“Certainly,” Siegfried said instantly. His only regret was that Karna wouldn’t be able to come but he would surely be busy with his own Master. “…If you don’t mind?” Siegfried asked Karna, feeling a sudden qualm. He didn’t like to leave him out but… Karna shook his head, smiling widely.

_Silly._ Karna mouthed the word and Siegfried felt his cheeks heat. Of course Karna would call him silly for even thinking it. Turning his attention to the oatmeal Siegfried found it was rather good for instant, full of raisins and bits of walnuts. David had given him two packets as well, which was thoughtful of him.

When breakfast was over, Karna shed his robe and materialized his clothing. Siegfried kissed him goodbye and blinked as something crinkly, a piece of paper, was slipped into his palm. After Karna was gone, Siegfried read the note.

_I love you._ The neat, cursive script was surrounded by little hearts. Siegfried smiled softly, smoothing the paper for a moment. Then he carefully folded it before putting it away into his shirt, close to his heart.

It was the perfect place to keep such a beautiful note.

* * *

 

A day after Karna’s return, the nameless Assassin returned from his mission.

Arjuna was very, very curious about that mission. Why had Arjuna been so unsuited for it? What about the nameless Assassin had assured victory? Because they had come back victorious, hardly even scratched, and a new Grail had been added to the repository. How had this happened? Arjuna wanted the story directly from the Assassin.

And he got it, although it was somewhat disturbing.

“To explain, I should ask you a question. I mean no offense,” the Assassin said calmly, reaching up to tug on his bandanna, settling it more comfortably. Arjuna nodded, a touch impatient. “When you killed your brother, would you say it could be considered murder?” …?!?

“What kind of a question is that?” Arjuna asked, unable to hold back his anger. And what did that have to do with his question? The Assassin just met his gaze with calm, honey-brown eyes.

“An important one. You broke the dharma’s of war. By the standards of your day, would it have been considered criminal?” The Assassin pressed and Arjuna took a deep breath. “I am not asking if it was wrong. But was it a crime?”

“…Yes.” Arjuna ground out the word, knowing it was true. He had broken the dharmas of war and murdered a defenseless man. It had been the only way they could win, it hadn’t been wrong, but it had been… murder. “Now explain why you are asking me this.” He was entirely fed up.

“Our enemy, the Servant who had won the Grail, was a modern spirit by the name of Benjamin Siegel. You probably don’t know him… he was the founder of Murder Inc, a syndicate of hired killers,” the Assassin said and Arjuna blinked. “He was a weak spirit overall but with a very unusual Noble Phantasm. The essence of Murder Inc, it created an army of wraith-like killers.” The Assassin paused for a moment before smiling. It was an unpleasant smile “It possessed the ability to absorb any Heroic Spirit who had committed murderous crimes and been condemned by society. Then, their power was given to Siegel.” Arjuna stared, shocked at the implications. That meant…? “He had already absorbed Heracles. If he had added your power to that, we would certainly have been doomed.” …

“I see,” Arjuna said, feeling a little sick. His soul was not stained by his deed, but it was… weighed down. That the weight of his sin could drag down everyone with him had never occurred to him before. “How did you assure the victory?” That part was still nagging him. The Assassin blinked slowly but obliged.

“In life, I was tried and executed for master-minding a war and killing countless innocents,” the Assassin said before smiling again. This time it was a sad, melancholy smile. “But I was innocent.” Arjuna’s breath caught in his throat at the thought. “The fact that society condemned me let Murder Inc absorb me, but my innocence let me escape. I broke the Noble Phantasm from within and shattered Siegel’s power when I did. After that, it was easy.”

“I… see…” An incredible story and Arjuna appreciated Karna’s warning very much now. However. “Who are you?” Arjuna suddenly demanded, staring at the man intently. The Assassin’s eyes widened at the sharp question. “Why do you hide your name?” The nameless Assassin smiled slowly before stepping close. Arjuna held his ground as the other man leaned in so his lips were nearly brushing Arjuna’s ear.

“I cannot say,” he breathed and Arjuna’s eyes went wide. That was the exact expression Karna used when – “And unlike your brother, who has no choice, I prefer to be mysterious than pathetic.” …! The Assassin stepped back and Arjuna stared at him, speechless. “Was there anything else you wish to know?”

“I… yes,” Arjuna said, still reeling a bit at the revelation. But he recovered quickly because there was something else he dearly wanted to know. He lowered his voice, even knowing it was likely futile. “The spirit fused with my brother. Do you have any idea who it might be?”

“Ideas? Oh yes,” the Assassin chuckled, a dry sound. “Far too many ideas, with no way to confirm any of them. Would you me to write out a list?” Arjuna nodded. “I’ll have that for you tonight. Is there anything else?”

“No, that is all. Thank you for the information,” Arjuna said and the nameless man nodded before vanishing into the shadows once again. As he walked towards the practice grounds Arjuna pondered what he knew. Why would the Grand Master, or just his own Master, forbid the Assassin to speak of his past? He had been condemned for causing a war but had been innocent… Arjuna could think of no historical figure that matched that description. A modern spirit? Possibly even contemporary? Arjuna was certain there was a dark reason behind his exclusion.

The practice grounds were empty and Arjuna was pleased. He took aim at the distant targets and concentrated on perfecting his form, even as his mind worked. Feeling calm and centred, Arjuna considered the state of the manor as he plied his bow.

The magi living and working within the manor were devoted to the continuation of humanity. Overall, it was a laudible goal. However, they were still magi and had not abandoned politics and backbiting. There were internal power struggles, often vicious ones. Arjuna understood that – he was a prince – but he still disapproved. This lack of cohesion could eventually cost the magi dearly.

Arjuna had observed the magi well by now and much like their Servants, they were organized in loose cliques. Those groups were arranged on friendships and alliances. Some, like Karna’s Master, seemed to have no friends but a few stable alliances. Others, like David, had many friends but very few true allies. Although that was because the other Masters were afraid of Karna’s Master.

_Afraid,_ Arjuna mused as he fired another arrow, hitting the target perfectly. Yes, they were afraid of him. The news of Discernment of the Poor had ignited a firestorm of fury and protests among the magi, as well as harsh recriminations. But almost all of it had been aimed at the Grand Master and Arjuna had noticed they became curiously muted when Karna’s Master was present. The magi of the manor were more afraid of him than the Grand Master. Was it entirely due to Karna? Arjuna highly doubted it. What had the man done to earn such fear?

The one person Arjuna should have been able to ask, and depended upon to answer, was his Master. However, he knew better. Arjuna reflected on it grimly as he narrowed his eyes and aimed for a leaf on a far-off tree. Martine was not a good Master. She wasn’t horrible – she was reasonable and listened to his concerns – but she was lacking in any true courage. Arjuna had noted that she never went with him on missions. Nor was she willing to make any enemies in the manor and Arjuna had observed the other magi treating her with a distinct lack of respect. Martine was not a force in the manor politics and was not willing to cross her cousin in any way.

If he could not depend on his own Master, the obvious person to ask was David. Arjuna knew it would be quite easy to arrange. He could simply accept an invitation to one of their movie nights. Siegfried and Karna asked him regularly and usually Arjuna refused, preferring to be alone with a good book. But he could swallow his distaste for an evening and be sociable.

Arjuna finally lowered his bow, feeling a comfortable tiredness in his arms, and regarded his handiwork. Very good. The arrows dissipated as they were wont to do and he turned away. He felt rested and centred, ready to take on challenges.

The manor was certainly full of them.

* * *

 

Later that night, Arjuna sat comfortably on his bed, pillows forming a makeshift backrest, and regarded the note he’d been slipped during dinner. It was printed very neatly and legibly, making it extremely easy to read.

_With regards to how the doll, your brother, was made, I believe there are two distinct possibilities. The first is that an earlier spirit was summoned and bound to the doll, then used as a catalyst to summon Karna as well, merging the two._ That was what Arjuna had assumed was true. _The second possibility is that the doll is essentially being remote controlled by a living entity._ …Eh? _If that is the case, that person, who is also the true spirit of the doll, is hidden somewhere in this manor._ Arjuna frowned at the thought. Was that truly possible? _At first I thought this would be impossible as such a thing would be sharply limited by range. But I have discovered that before it was merged with Karna, the doll never left the manor. And the Master-Servant bond along with the influence of the mystical computer might give it a much greater range._ …Hm. Arjuna wondered how plausible this was. _From my observations I believe a Mediterranean spirit is most likely but one based from Scandinavian mythology is also possible. Here is my list of candidates:_

_Urd_  
Verdani  
Asase Ya  
Circe  
Glauce…

The list went on and on and Arjuna felt a sinking feeling as he realized how impossible it would be to isolate the spirit they wanted. There were simply too many possibilities. Particularly since the man ended the list with ‘unknown priestess of Apollo’. Argh! And also, a final note on the subject.

_As you can see, there are simply too many possibilities. I personally believe this spirit is somehow affiliated with Apollo, because the association between two solar deities might explain how Karna was summoned._ Hm, quite possible. _But I cannot prove it. I am sorry, I know this will not be too helpful._ Well, it would at least spare him time doing his own research. Arjuna folded the note before putting it away and settling into his bed to sleep.

He would have a long mission tomorrow. It behooved him to be well rested for it.


End file.
